Devil's Mirror
by Digidramon
Summary: Set in an AU mangaverse. Aspiring duelist Himawari Higure enters Duel Academia Central alongside her friends Hikaru Shimo and Gisei Kagi, but as strange events occur and danger looms, the academy may not be such a good place after all...
1. Chapter 1: Generation Shift

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's – Devil's Mirror**_

Hey, all. I've been having severe block from writing YGO fics for a while, I don't know why I've suddenly regained the ability to do so, but I think it's the introduction of the Tenjo brothers in ZeXal LOL.

This fic does not strictly take place in the 5D's universe as presented by the anime. This is something of a crossover universe with ZeXal, therefore the Xyz monsters (god I hate that term) exist in this fic's world. Also, this fic takes place in manga canon, cards specifically restricted by the anime are not restricted here unless stated as such by any of the manga, and all cards restricted by the manga remain so. There is also no explicit ban-list, I am using my own discretion as to which cards I choose to have appear.

However, this fic has one alternate point, the events of ZeXal do not count. Cards restricted by ZeXal are not restricted here. Why, you may ask. Well... you'll see. A second point, while initially I was on the fence about the appearance of Signer Dragons, I am now considering the anime versions of the Signer Dragons unrestricted, but rare cards for the purposes of this fic. The manga variations such as Rua's Machine Dragon Power Tool and Ruka's Fairy Dragon Ancient will remain restricted, however.

I am using TCG terms, with a few exceptions. One, I am using Release and Advance Summon, mainly because the 5D's dub did so and I like the terms better. Secondly, I am taking one very large liberty, and using 'Exceed' instead of Xyz. I do not like that term, and I preferred Exceed, even if it was incorrect, so any use of Xyz in a card's name or text will be replaced with Exceed here. Same goes for Xyz Summon becoming Exceed Summon here.

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh as a whole, it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi/Konami. With that out of the way... it's time to shatter the mirror and see what waits behind...

_Chapter 1: Generation Shift_

Fingers trailed through her hair, across her cheeks. The nails dug in suddenly, tearing a gasp from her throat, red spilling up around the white edges. As the pain flared in her cheeks, red lips devoured her thin, pale ones, hungrily, passionately pressed to her mouth tongue pressing in past the pathetic barrier of the lips. The fingernails came free, and slid further down, across her neck, passing the collarbone...

"_More!_"

"More of what?" someone snarked. A second scream came, this time not of desire, but anger. The girl sat up, her black hair lashing wildly about her face, deep brown eyes burning with rage.

"What are you doing in here?" she snapped at the younger girl who barely resembled her, with tanned features, shoulder-length brown hair and warm green eyes. "Yuria!"

"Mom told me to wake you up before you were late to that important entrance exam, onee-chan," Yuria smiled pleasantly. Himawari glanced at the clock beside her bed, eyes widening slightly, it was ten minutes past the time she had set the alarm for. That dream... had it made her oversleep?

"What did you want more of, onee-chan?"

"None of your business," Himawari muttered through clenched teeth. "Out. I need to get dressed." It occurred to her as she spoke how chill she sounded, but she didn't care, it got her sister to leave very quickly. She pulled back the duvet, baring her form, clad in fairly tight-fitting white pajamas which hugged her rather undeveloped form, small, unimpressive breasts, slight, hard-to-notice curves, legs which probably should've been attractive but somehow weren't...

That dream... with that young woman, that _gorgeous _young... she shook her head violently, trying to snap out of it. Ripping off her pajama top, then shedding the bottoms, she staggered into the en-suite shower, letting the water come on with a strike to the controls. Hot water trailed across her average form, rubbing her skin sensually. Himawari leaned back against the wall, letting the heat play across her body, the feeling of the water running across her body lightly like the touch of the young woman in her dream...

She gritted her teeth, clenching a hand into a fist so that her nails dug slightly into her palm, sending stabs of pain through the nerves. Why couldn't she just get the dream out of her head? She had to _focus_!

Slowly unclenching her fist, Himawari reached out and plucked the shower gel from where it hung on a hook from a shelf, opening the bottle and squeezing a small puddle of gel into her hand. Replacing the bottle, she began to rub the gel over her slender, average form, coating her skin in a layer of frothy gel which the shower washed away to the floor, taking a night of sweat and dust with it. The young woman leaned back into the gushing waterfall as it cascaded down her body, relaxing into the warm embrace of the flowing water...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Staggering from the shower wrapped in a plain white towel, Himawari crossed her room to the chest of drawers on the opposite side next to her bed and began pulling clothes from the drawers. Once she had gathered a complete outfit, she tossed the towel away and began pulling on clothes, first a pale gray bra and panties, then a pair of black leggings under a gray-blue skirt, and finally a white shirt covered in swirling, contorting red and blue patterns, beautiful to look at but rather strange and eerie to behold. Finally, she picked up a small, compact device from her bedside table and placed it onto her left wrist, bands of metal expanding from the device to connect and lock it in place.

The girl stared down at the Deck contained in a slot on the device for a short while, before nodding and walking swiftly from the room, closing the door behind her. She rushed down the stairs, and moved to the front door.

"Himawari! Aren't you having any breakfast?" Her mother's piercing voice sounded after her.

"I'll get something on my way there, okaa-san!" With that, Himawari was out of the door and gone into the open world and towards her Academia entrance exam...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Taking bites out of a paper-wrapped pastry she held in one hand, Himawari strolled along the sidewalk as cars rushed past, along with the odd D-Wheel here and there. The girl's hair lashed slightly in the breeze, the sunlight catching strands of her brown hair and setting them alight with radiance. Smiling, Himawari continued to walk, dodging around other pedestrians while continuing to glance up at the shining dome-like structure atop the hill she was walking towards.

There were of course many different branches of Duel Academia, from the four compass-point Academies, to the renowned American Duel Academia, the three Academies of Neo Domino, Queens and Kings, and the mysterious Duel Academia Sanctuary. However, the most famous was Central Duel Academia, attended by numerous legendary pro duelists over the years, the crowning jewel of the Duel Academia chain. This was the Academia Himawari was aiming to enter, to follow in the footsteps of those pros to fame and success. It was what she wanted. It was what her dreams usually sang to her... usually...

She frowned slightly and took a large bite out of the pastry, forcing that dream from her head again. Why was it determined to annoy her? Glancing down at her Deck, then at the Extra Deck slot of her Disk, Himawari smiled, with these cards, she could defeat her opponents and find the way to victory, she knew it...

"Higure-san!" She glanced back, seeing a brown-haired young man running up, dressed in a somewhat-ridiculous looking ensemble of a blue and pink Hawaiian shirt, blue-white striped shorts, sandals and a pair of plain sunglasses, a plain compact Disk similar to Himawari's own on his arm.

"Hello there, Shimo-san," she greeted with an amused tone. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you," he replied. "So... ready for the exam?" Himawari laughed softly.

"Naturally," she smiled. "Deck's prepped and triple-checked, right down to the last card." Shimo seemed surprised.

"Damn, Higure-san," he commented. "There is such a thing as overpreparation, y'know."

"I've never heard of the word."

"That's because it's probably not in the dictionary..." Shimo muttered. "But my point's there, y'know, you don't have to prep so much for everything. Relax!" He lightly tapped her on the shoulder, laughing. "You'll be fine." But Himawari had flinched slightly. "Sorry..." He suddenly bore a sheepish expression, having forgotten that his friend did not like physical contact with other people.

Even Himawari herself didn't understand why, but ever since she was young, being touched had always made her flinch at best. At worst she would freeze up for several seconds, and no-one could see why. Even the girl didn't seem to know what made her shun physical contact.

"It's fine," she muttered with a somewhat frosty edge to her voice. "It's fine..." And an uncomfortable silence fell as the two continued onwards towards the dome on the hill...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The dome was packed. Aspiring teenagers filled much of the seating, but higher up current students relaxed in their seats, overlooking the potential new entries to the Central Duel Academia. And in a small designated box sat a small cluster of proctors, ready to test those aspiring applicants.

Himawari and Shimo gazed across the expanse in wonder, though Himawari retained a somewhat stoic expression, Shimo seeming much more awestruck.

"Let's sit down and watch some Duels while we wait," Himawari finally said, glancing down at the piece of card in her hand marked with the number 60, Shimo holding an identical sheet of card marked with 61. The two moved to nearby seats and sat down, gazing down at the Duels below...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Applicant 57, you are my opponent! I trust you to be a good one!"

The man was arrogant, he could already see it. Good. That would make victory all the sweeter. White coat flapping slightly, he took a card from his Deck, bringing his hand to six cards. Applicants went first, he knew that.

"Very well, Oheina-sensei," he said. "Allow me to be a 'good one'. I activate the Spell Card, Photon Veil." The card slid into his Disk and appeared before him, shining with light and depicting three shining stars amidst the clouds, bathed in a beam of light from above. "Photon Veil returns three Light monsters from my hand to my Deck," he placed Happy Lover, Mokey Mokey and Angel 01 onto his Deck, which shuffled, "then I can add up to three Level Four or lower Light monsters to my hand, but if I add two or more cards, they have to have the same name."

"What'll you go with then, Applicant 57?"

"I choose to search three copies of Mokey Mokey," he said plainly, taking the three cards ejected from his Deck, which shuffled as Photon Veil faded away.

"Mokey... Mokey?" The proctor seemed amused.

"Yes, indeed," he replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a brush of his hand before plucking a second Spell Card from his hand. "Spell Card, Polymerization. I send the three Mokey Mokeys I searched to the Graveyard," he slotted each into the appropriate space on his Disk in turn, "to Fusion Summon Mokey Mokey King." Three square-shaped pale blue creatures with golden wings and crimson question marks hovering over their heads appeared, before turning to light and soaring upwards, creating a blinding flash. When it faded, a colossal version of the creatures loomed overhead, voice shaking the arena, 'MOKEY MOKEY...' (300/100).

"Turn end," he concluded.

_**Applicant 57 4000LP/Proctor Oheina 4000LP**_

"I call that a pathetic move, Applicant!" Oheina declared. "Let me show you what Central Duel Academia expects of its students!" He drew.

"I summon Big Jaws!" With a roar, a colossal Great White shark formed, its mouth almost comically oversized and stuffed with long razor-sharp teeth and a large bladed horn-like fin mounted atop its head (1800/300). "Because I Summoned a Fish-Type, I can Special Summon Shark Sucker from my hand!" He played a second card and a lithe blue shark with some kind of suction cup mounted on its back appeared beside Big Jaws (200/1000).

"And now, since they are both Level Three, you'll Exceed Summon," the applicant murmured.

"Correct!" the proctor declared, before catching himself. "What? For all you know I could be Fusion or Synchro Summoning!"

"Synchro is unlikely because neither of those monsters is a Tuner, and Shark Sucker's effect means it cannot be used as Synchro Material. And there is no Fusion I know of which needs those two as materials. It could be a Ritual Summon, but if it were, then why bother summoning when not doing so would give you potential for another monster? Is my reasoning sound, Oheina-sensei?"

"Yeah... it is," Oheina replied coldly. "I construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters! Exceed Summon!" The two monsters began to circle, a crimson spiral gate appearing beneath them as a silhouette of pure energy manifested from within. A blinding flash erupted, consuming the gate in its folds, before shattering as the monsters became orbs of light and began to circle the being that emerged, a large pair of sharks connected by an orange hydrofoil device with torpedoes attached to each side (1900/1000). "Aero Shark!"

And there it was, the Exceed Monster he had been expecting. "You seem to assume I'm surprised by this, Oheina-sensei, despite the fact I deducted so before you declared the summon. Two Level Three WATER monsters can usually result in, depending on Deck theme, either Aero Shark or Black Ray Lancer. I'd have expected Black Ray Lancer though..."

"Be quiet!" Oheina barked. "Aero Shark, attack! Destroy Mokey Mokey King!" Twin torpedoes launched from Aero Shark's hydrofoil and struck Mokey Mokey King, shattering the monster in a fiery explosion.

"Mokey Mokey King's effect triggers," the applicant responded. "When it's removed from the field, I can Special Summon as many Mokey Mokey as possible from my Graveyard." In three bursts of radiance, smaller copies of the Mokey Mokey King appeared before him (300/100x3).

"Damn it!" Oheina muttered. "Turn end!"

_**Applicant 57 4000LP/Proctor Oheina 4000LP**_

The applicant drew, and smiled slightly. "Spell Card," he revealed one of the cards in his hand and sent a look of shock flashing across the proctor's face that made him almost chuckle, "Mokey Mokey Smackdown." He played the card, which appeared, depicting one of the Mokey Mokey glowing fiery red and puffed up to immense size, its question mark transformed to an exclamation mark.

"Mokey Mokey, attack Aero Shark." One of his monsters charged, but was annihilated by a stray torpedo before it had floated even halfway across the field.

(_Applicant 57 2400LP_)

"No..." Oheina whispered.

"The effect of my Mokey Mokey Smackdown activates," he continued as the two Mokey Mokey before him both puffed up, shaking with rage and blazing red (3000/100x2), "because a Fairy-Type was destroyed, the attack scores of all Mokey Mokey I control become three-thousand until the End Phase." He closed his eyes and turned slightly away. "Mokey Mokey, end this." The two Fairies all screamed incoherent battle cries and rushed forward. Aero Shark was trampled in a second, and Oheina quickly followed as his Life Points were ripped apart.

_**Applicant 57 2400LP/Proctor Oheina 0LP**_

The remaining cards faded away, leaving no trace of the battle behind but Oheina's groans of pain as he stood.

"Good job, Applicant 57," the proctor commented. "Looks like you're an Academia student from now on."

"My name is not Applicant 57, then," he replied. "My name, Oheina-sensei, is Tadashi Migi." With that, he turned and began to walk away.

"Yes, Tadashi-san..." Oheina murmured...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Man, that guy's good," Shimo commented. "Huh, Higure-san?" He glanced sideways to see Himawari gazing down, eyes fixated on the applicant.

"There's something about him..." she commented.

"What, aside from how he stomped a proctor into the dirt and one-turn-killed the guy," her friend scoffed. "He's one lucky son of a bitch either way." She shot him a look. "C'mon, on the one side he stomped down a proctor, and on the other he got _you _interested."

"I am _not _interested," she replied. "I just think something's off about him." She paused, gazing at Applicant 57 until he vanished into a throng of suddenly-earned admirers. "Like he was holding something else up his sleeve and just didn't use it."

"Everyone has something else up their sleeve, it's how Decks work, Higure-san," Shimo pointed out.

"Not in that way..." Her voice was deep with thought until the loudspeaker blared, both cutting her off and bringing a look of irritation to her face for an instant.

"_Applicant 60, Higure Himawari, report to Duel Field Three for your practical examination." _Duel Field Three was the one just vacated by Applicant 57, and Himawari rose from her seat with a slight smirk, striding down the stands directly towards the crowd mobbing the victorious applicant.

M-I-R-R-O-R

The crowd parted, and he emerged onto the stairway. As Tadashi climbed, he suddenly became aware of the young woman descending an instant before he knocked into her, quickly moving aside but too slow to prevent his hand brushing on hers. The girl flinched as if stung, but quickly recovered, glancing at him.

"Sorry... I don't like to be touched," she said softly. "I'm Higure Himawari."

"Higure-san... I'm Tadashi Migi," he said, recalling the loudspeaker announcement. "Good luck with your Duel."

"Thank you, Tadashi-san." With that, the girl walked further down and into the dispersing crowd. And as she walked away, Migi let himself shudder slightly at what that touch had felt like, heat and cold intertwined, impossibly, blinding light and dark crossing his vision. He collapsed into a seat and pulled a card from his Deck, feeling the warmth radiating from it flow through him as he gazed down at the image of the electric-blue beast it depicted.

"What... is she?"

M-I-R-R-O-R

His image left itself in her head for a while as she walked down those steps, black hair, warm light brown eyes, slightly tanned skin. His white coat billowed around his ankles as he walked, concealing and revealing his gray shirt and light blue pants with each motion.

"Who are you?" she muttered, still advancing down the stairs until she reached the arena floor, crossing it to the Duel field. As she took her position opposite the proctor, she put Migi out of her mind. She had a game to play.

"Higure-san?" the proctor asked. It wasn't Oheina this time, but rather a different man, younger and with a kinder expression, clad in the golden yellow coat of a Ra Yellow staff member. Himawari nodded in answer. "I'm Odayakana Senshi, and I'll be conducting your practical exam." He raised his left arm, activating his Duel Disk, which instantly expanded out into duel form.

Himawari repeated the motion. "I hope I do well, Odayakana-sensei."

"I'm sure you will, Higure-san," the proctor replied with a smile. "As per tradition, you'll have the first move." He drew his opening hand and Himawari did the same.

"Let's Duel!"

_**Himawari 4000LP/Senshi 4000LP**_

"Draw," Himawari said calmly, taking up her sixth card. "I set a monster," a reversed card appeared before her as she played it, followed by a second card. "I set one card face-down, and end my turn." The reverse card appeared behind her monster.

_**Himawari 4000LP/Senshi 4000LP**_

"That's a pretty standard opening move, Higure-san," Senshi observed as he drew, bringing his hand to six cards.

"It's an effective one, Odayakana-sensei," she replied quietly.

"True," the proctor nodded. "I set a monster of my own." A reverse monster appeared before him. "Then, I play two face-downs and end my turn." A second and third face-down cards flashed into being behind his monster.

_**Himawari 4000LP/Senshi 4000LP**_

"I draw," Himawari spoke, drawing the card. _"He didn't attack my Maharaghi... that makes things slightly harder..." _

"I Release my face-down Maharaghi," she declared, as the card faded into particles of light, "to Advance Summon Izanagi!" In a flare of light, the mighty lord of the Shinto pantheon took form, clad in a regal white kimono adorned with strings of beads, his hair a stark white. The elder kami gripped a spear in hand, a blue cloth flapping from where it was tied around the weapon, and drew a katana from its sheath at his belt (2200/1000).

"Next, I banish Maharaghi from my Graveyard," she took the card and pocketed it, "to Special Summon Yamato-no-Kami!" Shadows pooled beside Izanagi and coalesced into a towering, muscular man wearing only white hakama, thick purple veins pulsing across his bare chest and arms. His mane of black hair rippling, the kami roared and glared with baleful red eyes, the six tentacles sprouting grotesquely from his back shuddering and writhing (2200/1200).

"I open my reverse card," Senshi said softly. "Demise of the Land activates when you Special Summon, and allows me to activate a Field Spell Card from my Deck." He took a card as it slipped from the Deck. "I activate the Field Spell, _Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords_!" A blast of light erupted, blinding the two for an instant before fading to reveal a new battlefield, a barren waste with countless swords impaled into the ground like grave markers. Far away, partly obscured by the dark clouds veiling the sky, gears turned endlessly...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Up in the audience, Migi saw the Field Spell and smirked slightly. "One of I2's designers must be a fan, huh?"

M-I-R-R-O-R

"I activate the Equip Spell Card, Sword of Kusanagi!" Himawari cried, playing the card. A bolt of light streaked from the sun overhead, piercing the clouds to be caught by Yamato-no-Kami, and revealing it as a long, elegant and regally-designed katana, red lightning crackling across the blade. "This card can only be equipped to a Spirit monster, and allows that monster to deal Piercing Damage!"

Senshi smiled slightly. _"Good set-up, Higure-san... too bad I'm prepared."_

"In case you think your second face-down card can stop Izanagi," the girl spoke. "When Yamato-no-Kami destroys a monster in battle, I can destroy a Spell or Trap Card you control." A look of surprise crossed Senshi's face.

"_Then... I'd have to use Defense Draw to block the Piercing Damage from Yamato-no-Kami and take the greater damage of Izanagi's attack..." _

"Yamato-no-Kami, attack his reverse monster!" Himawari ordered. Her monster struck like a flash of lightning, tearing across the field as Senshi's card lifted to reveal a tall, lean man wielding a blacksmith's hammer (500/500). The Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu was cleaved in twain with a single sweep of the Sword of Kusanagi, shattering into pixels.

"Trap Card, open," Senshi said quietly. "Defense Draw negates your attack's battle damage and lets me draw one card." He drew once and the Trap faded away. "And Iron Blacksmith Kotetsu has a Flip Effect allowing me to add an Equip Spell Card from my Deck to my hand, like Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade." He took the chosen card from his Deck and placed it into his hand.

"Izanagi, direct attack on the player!" Izanagi surged past Yamato-no-Kami and struck with a thrust of his spear, causing Senshi to cry out in pain.

(_Senshi 1800LP_)

"Turn end," Himawari said as Izanagi returned to her side ad she placed a face-down card. "And because Izanagi is on the field, my Yamato-no-Kami doesn't have to return to the hand per his effect." The reverse card appeared beside her monsters.

_**Himawari 4000LP/Senshi 1800LP**_

"I forfeit my draw to activate the effect of my Field Spell," Senshi said. "Instead of drawing, Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords lets me add an Equip Spell Card with 'Blade' or 'Sword' in its name from my Deck to my hand. I choose Fusion Sword Murasame Blade." He took the card from his Deck, which instantly shuffled.

"I activate the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army, adding a Level Four or lower Warrior-Type monster from my Deck to my hand." A copy of Rose, Warrior of Revenge slid out of his Deck and he took it with a slight smile. "I summon Marauding Captain!" Playing a card, Senshi watched as light shone before him and coalesced into a grim-looking man in battered, dented plate armor, a tattered and torn cape flapping behind him. The captain drew twin swords, looking wearily across the field (1200/400).

"Next, I activate my Captain's effect, letting me Special Summon a Level Four or lower monster from my hand." He played a second card and a burst of flame erupted this time, shattering to reveal a red-haired woman clad in a tight-fitting black bodysuit, a white scarf flapping around her neck. Rose, Warrior of Revenge drew her sword, smirking slightly as she glared across to Himawari's monsters (1600/600).

"_A Level Four Tuner... he's going to Synchro Summon," _Himawari mused.

"I Tune the Level Four Rose, Warrior of Revenge to my Level Three Marauding Captain! Synchro Summon!" Senshi declared passionately, raising one hand to the air as Rose leapt up, bursting into flames from which flew four shimmering rings. Marauding Captain sheathed his blades and flew skywards, entering the rings and bursting into three bright stars, a flash of golden aura consuming the display in light...

"_Swords are his bones, steel is his body, fire is his blood, for he has forged many blades. Unknown to death or life, he holds those swords against the evil of this earth! Synchro Summon! So as I pray... descend, Seven Swords Warrior!" _

Seven blades descended like bolts of light, impaling into the ground as a golden meteor crashed down and arose. Shining faintly, the golden-armored warrior wrenched his swords free, a katana sheathed across his back, a pair of immense blades sheathed as his shoulder-plates, a second pair at his hips and the final two were wielded in the warrior's hands. Seven Swords Warrior rose to his full height and glared across the battlefield, blades ready to kill... (2300/1800)

"I activate the Equip Spell Cards, Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade and Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" He played the cards, causing his monster's hand-held swords to glow with light and transform. One turned into a regal longsword with a golden hilt forged into the shape of a phoenix, while the other turned into a dark katana which burned with a chaotic aura. Suddenly, Seven Swords Warrior slashed with the Divine Sword, sending a wave of blazing light across the field which struck Himawari, making her cry out in pain.

(_Himawari 3200LP_)

"Once per turn, when Seven Swords Warrior is equipped with an Equip Card, you take eight-hundred damage," Senshi explained. "And my Equip Spells each boost his attack points, the Divine Sword by three-hundred, the Fusion Sword by eight-hundred." Seven Swords Warrior glowed with energy (3400/1800). "Next, I activate the second effect of my Seven Swords Warrior, sending one of his Equip Cards to the Graveyard," the Divine Sword shattered and was replaced by his original blade, "and when an Equip Card equipped to Seven Swords Warrior goes to the Graveyard, I can destroy one of your face-up monsters." Seven Swords Warrior made a slash with his blade and a wave of force shot through the air, striking Izanagi and shattering him apart, while the aura around the Synchro dimmed (3100/1800).

Senshi paused, glancing at his hand. _"If I attack, either one of those two cards could be an attack counter card... losing Seven Swords Warrior to that would be exceptionally stupid..." _

"I activate the effect of my Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade, removing two Warriors in my Graveyard from play," he pocketed Rose and Marauding Captain, "to return it to my hand." He took the card and immediately played it, causing the blade to appear in Seven Swords Warrior's hand again (3400/1800). "I activate the Spell Card, Release Restraint Wave! By sending an Equip Card to the Graveyard, I can destroy all face-down Spell and Trap Cards you control!" The Phoenix Blade faded into light and Seven Swords Warrior slashed with it, unleashing a wave of powerful energy...

"I chain Joint Future, discarding a card to negate your Spell and return it to your Deck!" Himawari countered, placing Amaterasu into the Graveyard. Release Restraint Wave shattered as Senshi placed the card into his Deck.

"Since my Phoenix Blade was still sent to the Graveyard, Seven Swords Warrior can destroy your Yamato-no-Kami!" Senshi countered as his monster slashed with his sword, shattering Yamato-no-Kami even as the aura around him dimmed again (3100/1800). "Seven Swords Warrior, attack directly! _Seven Sword Slash_!" The warrior tore across the field as a flash of gold and struck too fast to see, until Himawari cried out, feeling the blows all at once.

(_Himawari 100LP_)

Seven Swords Warrior landed back before its master, shining with radiance. "I end my turn with a face-down," Senshi concluded, the card appearing beside him.

"I play Shock Draw, letting me draw a card for every thousand points of Battle Damage I took this turn!" Himawari cried, drawing three times.

_**Himawari 100LP/Senshi 1800LP**_

"Draw," Himawari murmured, fully aware she was a step from losing. "I set a monster," she played the card face-down, "and two face-downs." Three reversed cards appeared before her at once. "Turn end."

_**Himawari 100LP/Senshi 1800LP**_

"I skip my draw to use the effect of Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords," Senshi declared. "I add Sword of the Gorgon from my Deck to my hand." He took the card from his Deck, which then shuffled. "I equip Sword of the Gorgon to Seven Swords Warrior!" The warrior's sword faded and was replaced by a large curved scimitar with a hilt adorned by an intricate carving of a serpent. "Sorry, Higure-san... you've been a good opponent. Seven Swords Warrior's effect activates." Seven Swords Warrior slashed with his blade, sending a wave of energy across the field...

"Chain!" Himawari cried. "I activate Reflect Nature, reflecting all effect damage I'd take this turn onto you." The wave struck a mirrored barrier and bounced back, slamming into the surprised Senshi.

(_Senshi 1000LP_)

"Good counter, Higure-san," Senshi commented, standing. "Seven Swords Warrior, attack her reversed monster! _Seven Sword Slash_!" The warrior tore across the field and slashed through Himawari's monster, a noble black-haired woman resembling Izanagi clad in elegant white robes (1100/1800), shattering Izanami into pixels.

"I activate Izanami's effect, discarding a card from my hand to add a Spirit monster from the Graveyard to my hand," his opponent replied, placing Skill Successor into the Graveyard and taking Amaterasu from it.

"I end my turn," the proctor concluded, on which Himawari's second face-down lifted.

"I activate Groundbreaking, letting me add a Spirit monster from my Graveyard to my hand." She took Yamato-no-Kami this time.

_**Himawari 100LP/Senshi 1000LP**_

"My turn, draw," she said softly, drawing her card. "I summon the Tuner Monster, Amaterasu." She played the card and an orb of radiant light flashed up before her, dimming to reveal a woman in shining golden-orange robes which glowed like the sun. The woman's long, black hair tumbled down her back, and she held a regal, gold-rimmed mirror in hand (900/600). "I activate Amaterasu's effect, letting me add a Sword of Kusanagi, Mirror of Yata or Orb of Yasaka from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." Sword of Kusanagi slipped from her Graveyard and she took it in hand.

"Next, I banish Izanami from my Graveyard," she pocketed the card, "to Special Summon Yamato-no-Kami." With a baleful roar, Yamato-no-Kami formed once again (2200/1200). "And finally, I Tune Amaterasu to Yamato-no-Kami to Synchro Summon...!" The form of the sun goddess burst into radiant light and split into two shining rings of sunlight which soared heavenwards, followed by Yamato-no-Kami. The dark form of the mountain god met the shining rings, and there was a mighty boom of thunder as a bolt of lightning split the air...

"_The raging storms writhe and rampage throughout the lands of darkness. With rain, wind and thunder, the storm god brings judgment to the world! Synchro Summon! Descend... Susanoo-no-Mikoto!" _

The lightning flashed and was gone, leaving a noble man with long black hair similar to Amaterasu's, clad in a regal sea-green kimono and wielding a plain katana with lightning dancing across the blade. Sparks flashed in his deep blue eyes, and his hair was bound back with a comb (2500/1700).

"I activate Susanoo-no-Mikoto's effect," Himawari declared. "He has three effects, and I can activate one per turn. In this case, I choose his effect which switches the battle position of one of your monsters." Susanoo-no-Mikoto raised his hand and the wind began to howl fiercely, blowing viciously through the Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords to batter against Seven Swords Warrior and forcing the sword-master to crouch defensively (3100/1800). "Next, I equip Susanoo-no-Mikoto with Sword of Kusanagi." Susanoo-no-Mikoto raised his hand again and his katana faded into light, replaced by the regal form of the legendary Sword of Kusanagi.

"_What's she planning?" _Senshi wondered.

"Finally... I banish the Skill Successor from my Graveyard, giving Susanoo-no-Mikoto eight-hundred more attack points for this turn!" Himawari cried, pocketing the card as an aura of burning energy surrounded her Synchro Monster (3300/1700). "Susanoo-no-Mikoto, attack Seven Swords Warrior! _Ama-no-Habakiri_!" The Synchro Monster ripped across the field, slashing with the Sword of Kusanagi towards Seven Swords Warrior...

Senshi smiled. "You've won, Higure-san... but I won't let my ace die so easily. Trap Card, open – Rho Aias! I send one card equipped to my Seven Swords Warrior to the Graveyard, and it can't be destroyed this turn!" Sword of the Gorgon faded into motes of light which created a large shield in the Synchro's hand, which he hefted to intercept the blow...

_**Himawari 100LP/Senshi 0LP**_

The cards left in play all faded away, leaving the proctor and the applicant upon the stage once more. Clapping erupted around them, everyone having seen the game's conclusion, including Shimo, who was laughing and smiling. "Great show, Higure-san!"

She was just silent, staring up into the audience, where Migi met her gaze. _"What do you think, then?"_

M-I-R-R-O-R

And he gazed back down from his lofty position, regarding her. _"Just one ordinary Synchro? No. That can't be everything... you're different. There's more." _He glanced down at the card in his hand. _"I guess we'll be watching this girl, huh?"_

A roar echoed through his head in answer...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"So, how did you do?" Himawari asked Shimo as the two began to walk back to their seats.

"Won, naturally," he said. "Not as thrilling as your game to be honest... but still, a win's good enough. But that was one hell of a match with you and that proctor, seriously."

"He was a good duelist," she observed. "Quite skilled, and that Field Spell of his combined with his Seven Swords Warrior is quite an effective tactic. Given the toolbox aspect of Warrior Decks, it's quite easy to gather the right material monsters and Synchro Summon, so it's not too hard to summon Seven Swords Warrior, especially since it has no specific material requirements. Then all you'd need is a way to search out Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Blades, like Terraforming or Demise of the Land."

"Heh, yeah," Shimo commented. "My proctor wasn't so good, it was that jerk the Mokey Mokey guy was dueling. WATER Exceed Deck. Damn. I stomped all over him by the end of it."

Himawari remained silent, mostly because Migi had stepped into their path.

"That was a good game, Higure-san," he said.

"Thank you," she replied curtly.

"So, Spirit monsters? That's an intriguing Deck choice."

"Some would say Mokey Mokey is just as intriguing."

"That's true," he smiled, nodding slightly. "Still, it's effective and I enjoy using it, so that's what matters." Shimo glanced down and noticed a card in his hand.

"What's that?" he asked, trying to get a better look, but Migi just pocketed it.

"Oh, nothing," he replied. "Just something I'm considering placing in my Deck." He paused. "Well, I wish you luck, Higure-san, and... uh?" He looked questioningly at Shimo.

"Shimo Hikaru," Shimo replied.

"Good luck, Shimo-san," Migi nodded, reaching out a hand, which Shimo took and shook for a moment. Then the Mokey Mokey user turned and walked away, vanishing into the crowds all around.

"What was that card?" Himawari asked, curious.

"Didn't get a good enough look, sorry," Shimo answered. "All I saw was it was some sort of electric-blue dragon... thing." Himawari's lips pursued in thought. "And it was an Effect Monster." Her thoughtful expression practically evaporated.

"It doesn't matter." She paused. "We'll see him again, I know it. Anyway... I'm going to head home. See you later, Shimo-san."

"See you around, Higure-san," Shimo replied with a slight nod as the young woman walked away. The young man stood for a moment, just considering what to do, before nodding and walking away in a different direction. Up above, Migi looked down at the pair, gazing between them with a thoughtful smile...

M-I-R-R-O-R

_Card Stats:_

_Monsters:_

Big Jaws

WATER/ Fish/Effect /Level 3/ATK: 1800/DEF: 300

If this card attacks, at the end of the Battle Phase: Banish this card.

01

Shark Sucker

WATER/ Fish/Effect /Level 3/ATK: 200/DEF: 1000

When a Fish/Aqua/Sea Serpent-Type monster is Normal or Special Summoned to your side of the field: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. This card cannot be used as Synchro Material.

01

Aero Shark

WATER/ Fish/Exceed/Effect /Rank 3/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1000

2 Level 3 monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Exceed Material from this card; inflict 100 damage to your opponent for each of your banished monsters.

(The above three cards are currently only released in the OCG.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Amaterasu

FIRE/ Fairy/Spirit/Tuner /Level 2/ATK: 900/DEF: 600

This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to the owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn that this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. When this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up, select 1 'Sword of Kusanagi', 'Mirror of Yata' or 'Orb of Yasaka' from your Deck or Graveyard and add it to your hand.

01

Susanoo-no-Mikoto

WIND/ Thunder/Synchro/Spirit /Level 8/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1700

1 Spirit Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. This card returns to the owner's Extra Deck during the End Phase of the turn that this card is Synchro Summoned or flipped face-up, unless it is equipped with an Equip Spell Card. Once per turn, you can select and activate one of the following effects: • Select 1 face-up monster on the field and change its battle position. • ?. • ?.

(The above two cards are my own inventions and creative credit for them goes to me. Credit for helping to design Susanoo-no-Mikoto goes to Janime forum user DarkYami.)

_Spells:_

Photon Veil

Normal Spell Card

Image: Three shining stars hanging amidst the clouds, with a ray of light illuminating them from above.

Return 3 LIGHT monsters from your hand to the Deck. Then, add up to 3 Level 4 or lower LIGHT monsters from your Deck to your hand. If you add 2 or more cards to your hand, they must have the same card name.

(Photon Veil was released in the OCG set Photon Shockwave.)

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Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords

Field Spell Card

Image: A barren wasteland filled with swords impaled into the ground, with gears turning visibly behind the clouds on the horizon.

You can skip your normal draw during your Draw Phase to select 1 'Sword' or 'Blade' Equip Spell Card from your Deck and add it to your hand. ?

01

Sword of the Gorgon

Equip Spell Card

Image: Dark Grepher holding up a large wicked scimitar with an ornate emerald snake carving adorning the hilt.

Equip only to a Warrior-Type monster. When the equipped monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.

(The above two cards are my own inventions, though credit for inspiring Bladesmith's Soul – Field of Swords must go to the makers of Fate/stay night and the creators of that inspirer of GAR, Archer.)

_Traps:_

Joint Future

Normal Trap Card

Image: Two strands of photographic film connecting together with a bright flash of light.

Discard 1 card. Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell/Trap Card, and return that card to the Deck.

(Joint Future was first used by Yusei in the 5D's episode 'Towards Our Future'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of 5D's.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Shock Draw

Normal Trap Card

Image: A duelist wearing an Academy Duel Disk holding up two cards as he is struck by a bolt of lightning.

Draw 1 card for each multiple of 1000 Battle Damage you took this turn.

(Shock Draw was first used by Yusei in the 5D's manga chapter 'The Master of the Underworld'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the manga.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Groundbreaking

Normal Trap Card

Image: A table laden with artifacts surrounded by violet flames before the shattered background of all Spirit monsters.

Add 1 Spirit monster from your Graveyard to your hand.

(Groundbreaking was first used by Noah in the second series anime episode 'LP 10000 vs. 100!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of that episode.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Rho Aias

Normal Trap Card

Image: Seven barriers of shining light appearing before a red-robed man as a spear shoots towards him.

Select 1 monster you control which has at least 1 Equip Card equipped to it. Send 1 of the selected monster's Equip Cards to the Graveyard. During this turn, the selected monster cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects.

(Rho Aias is my own invention and creative credit for it goes to me, though credit for inspiration goes once again to the makers of Fate/stay night.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Next time, as the time for the results of their exams comes closer, Himawari and Shimo face off due to a misunderstanding in their friendship which the latter wishes to understand, though the former wants things to stay secret. But with Migi overlooking, just how will things turn out? It's Chapter 2 – Rookie Fight!


	2. Chapter 2: Rookie Fight

_**Chapter 2 – Rookie Fight**_

"_I have people I can count on. I'll make it through."_

_Serah Farron, Final Fantasy XIII_

"Finish this!"

A blast of white-hot light erupted forth and struck home, consuming a human figure in burning radiance and making them scream in pain as the light burned into their form. As the radiance dimmed, the body slumped to their knees, still screaming, and it was that other young woman, her beautiful form devoured by the blazing holy power of the attack...

With a gasp, Himawari jolted awake, drawing a deep breath. Her chestnut hair whipped past her face, disturbed by the sudden motion, as her chest rose and fell with each breath. She forced herself to calm down, her breathing gradually slowing. It was just a dream. So why did it panic her so much?

With a soft groan, the young woman hauled herself out of bed and found what had woken her up, the lyrics to some song she couldn't remember playing from her cellphone. Sleepily she answered. "Yes? Who is it?"

"_Hey, Higure-san," _Shimo spoke over the phone.

"What do you want, Shimo-san?" Her voice was full of irritation.

"_Heh, looks like someone got out of bed the wrong way this morning," _he replied mockingly. _"Anyway, I got a call from Kagi-chan. She wants us to come and meet her at the dueling fields later." _Himawari frowned.

"Why?"

"_Maybe she wants to... oh, I dunno... _duel_?" _Shimo said with a hint of amusement. _"That's usually why people invite you to a _dueling _field, Higure-san." _Himawari's frown turned into a scowl.

"Shut up." She paused, awaiting a reply, before speaking again. "Sorry. But tell Kagi-san that I'll be there in about an hour."

"_I'll make sure she gets the message," _her friend muttered, hurt. _"Why do you only call people 'san', Higure-san? For that matter, why don't you let me or Kagi-chan use anything but that? We're friends, aren't we? Good friends?" _She sighed inaudibly.

"We are... I just..." Unable to continue, she just hung up, aware that Shimo would be insulted and it was a rude thing to do, but she honestly didn't have an answer. Not an answer she could share with him, or Kagi. Not with any of them.

As she put down the phone, halfheartedly ignoring the ring-tone as Shimo tried to call again, Himawari glanced at her bedside, in particular the Deck of cards which lay on it. She laid a hand on the Deck, in particular on the top card, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and then turned away, walking towards the en-suite shower...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"What the hell is her problem?"

Glaring at his phone before pocketing it, Shimo fumed, leaning back against the wall of his room. He glanced around it, taking in the various posters of famous duelists with their cards, Edo Phoenix standing proudly before the majestic Vision Heroes Trinity and Adoration, Fubuking surrounded by Air Sphere, Breeze Sphere and Transforming Sphere, with The Atmosphere resplendent behind him against the sky blue background, Kaiser Ryo cutting an imposing figure before Cyber Eltanin, and JACK ATLAS (as the poster spelled in big letters) smirking as he stood before Heavenly King Black Highlander.

Atop most of the surfaces were Duel Monsters-related items, cards, figurines of monsters (a smile crossed his lips at the figurine of Elemental Hero The Earth which prominently adorned the desk beside his bed), a Duel Disk of some sort on a chest of drawers, everywhere there was dueling memorabilia. On the desk next to the figurine was a framed photograph with neat handwriting crossing one corner, depicting a younger Shimo next to the gray-suit-clad form of Edo Phoenix, sunlight spilling over the child's wild grin and the Pro's more reserved smile, Shimo's brown hair contrasting Edo's silver, and his not-hidden eyes a deep green unlike the Pro Duelist's dark blue. He briefly recalled that day, the day the photograph was taken, and smiled more widely. Crossing the room, he bent down and read Edo's handwriting on the photo, the neat, elegant writing of kanji which spelt the man's name.

Then he stood back up and turned, and his thoughts about his friend returned. Why was Himawari so irritable? And why did she seem so averse to giving any impression that she was anything more than a colleague, or a classmate, to he and Kagi-chan? What was her problem with that notion?

Still fuming, he snatched up his Deck from its place on the desk next to the photograph with a quick turn, and crossed the room again, his shirt a blur of green and white as he wrenched open the door and walked out, closing it behind him as viciously as he dared.

As he took the stairs at a rapid pace, Shimo ripped his phone out of his pocket and opened the contacts list, finding a name and calling the number. Even as he opened the front door and was gone, he received his answer.

"_Shimo-kun?" _

"Hey, Kagi-chan," he answered. "Higure-san told me she'd meet us in an hour or so." He was walking rapidly down the street, trying not to let his frustration at Himawari show, and doing quite an admirable job.

"_What's wrong, Shimo-kun? You sound... annoyed," _Kagi asked.

"_Damn," _Shimo thought. "It's Higure-san." Kagi made a very bad attempt at hiding a chuckle, and he scowled.

"_What's wrong this time?" _The teasing tone in her voice was just impossible for him to miss.

"I asked her why she only uses 'san' when she's referring to us," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear. "And she just hung up."

"_Hm... knew she was cold," _Kagi replied. _"You know what Higure-san's like, Shimo-kun, she doesn't like to get close to people. Not really." _The girl paused. _"Physically or emotionally. That's just how she is."_

"But _why_?" Shimo cried. "Why with us? We're meant to be her friends, damn it!" The outburst earned him a few odd looks from others walking nearby.

"_You can't really blame someone for being who they are, Shimo."_

"Damn it... I just don't understand..." he muttered darkly. "There's no reason for her to wall us out like this..."

"_Maybe there is and we don't know it?" _his friend pointed out. _"Maybe there's something she doesn't want to share, consider that, Shimo-kun. People have things they don't want others to know."_

"Maybe," he admitted. "We'll see, I guess... see you later."

"_See you, Shimo-kun." _With that, he hung up...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Dressed in a gray shirt and black skirt over leggings, Himawari walked down the street, Duel Disk on her arm. The young woman dodged around other walkers, effortlessly moving around their forms with a honed agility brought on by years of disliking physical contact.

"Higure-san!" She turned, surprised as Migi appeared from the crowd, walking over to her. "What a lovely surprise."

"Nice to see you too, Tadashi-san," she replied, recalling his name quickly, she had spent a long time thinking about the strange young man lately. "What brings you here?"

"I was just taking a walk," he replied, smiling slightly. He was still wearing his white coat, she noted, but now he wore it over white tracksuit pants adorned with electric blue and fiery crimson markings, and a pale blue shirt. "It helps me think. How about you, Higure-san?"

"I was going to meet some friends."

"Like... what was his name... Shimo-san?" he said, dredging up Shimo's name.

"Yes."

"Mind if I join you? I don't really have much else to do today," Migi commented. She weighed it up, noting the Duel Disk on his arm.

"Fine," she decided. "We're meeting at the dueling fields."

"Planning to get some practice in? Good plan," he said with a slight smile. "We'll be getting back the results from our exams soon." She nodded absentmindedly. "I enjoyed your Duel with the proctor the other day. It was quite thrilling to watch."

"He was a good duelist," she said softly. "And his Seven Swords Warrior was a good card." She sighed slightly. "Still, I won in the end." Her eyes cast a glance down at her Deck in its slot on the Duel Disk.

"A very clever win too," Migi nodded. "Combining Susanoo-no-Mikoto with Sword of Kusanagi... interesting."

"It wasn't flawless," she murmured. "Seven Swords Warrior survived."

"Details," he shrugged. "If anything the fact that the proctor... what was his name?"

"Odayakana."

"Thanks... well, if anything the fact that Odayakana-sensei managed to protect his ace made the victory more interesting, neither of you lost an ace card to that Duel." He noted her grimace. "Defeating monsters isn't everything in this game."

"True." She paused. "But it feels like a more complete victory to leave my opponent with no monsters, somehow." He cast her a glance.

"Maybe," he said, rubbing his hand across the bridge of his nose. "We're here." The two stopped and Himawari noticed that he was right. She took in the place, a wide expansive courtyard with elevated platforms upon which duelists faced off. The two gazed around, taking in the monsters, Wind-Up Knight here, Magical Android before another duelist, Solidroid Alpha towering before a third. The players faced off, fighting battles with their monsters across the stages. Upon the stands nearby, friends and family say, cheering on those they supported.

"_The light of salvation shines down from above and announces the arrival of our savior. Light, punish the wicked with judgment and protect the faithful! Ritual Summon! Descend... Divine Grace – Northwemko!" _

Himawari turned towards the words, beholding a flash of blinding golden light, which faded as a beautiful woman descended to the field, clad in a regal black dress, a stream of white-blonde hair tumbling gracefully down her back. Smiling warmly, Northwemko grasped her staff, tipped by an idol of a burning sun, and landed gently upon the field, radiating divine power (2700/1200).

The young woman standing behind the goddess was hard to make out due to the blinding radiance the goddess was emitting, even as she raised a hand. "I activate Northwemko's effect. When she's Ritual Summoned, I select a number of cards I control up to the number of monsters used for the Ritual Summon, and while those cards are face-up on the field, Northwemko can't be destroyed by card effects. I select my Ritual Cage." A thread of light appeared from the goddess' staff, connecting to the Continuous Spell Card behind her.

"N-No..." her opponent gasped.

"Mirror Force? Sakuretsu Armor? Useless," the young woman said. "Northwemko, direct attack on the player. _Light of Atonement_!" Northwemko raised her staff, and blinding light exploded into the air, carving its way across the field and striking the helpless opponent. The young man was consumed into the blinding embrace of the attack, before it faded and he was revealed, knocked to the ground by the force of the attack.

As the cards faded away, the young woman turned away. "Guilty," she whispered, almost inaudibly, before her gaze found Himawari and her calm expression burst into a smile. "Higure-san!" She leapt down from the platform and quickly crossed the space, stopping before her friend.

"Kagi-san," Himawari nodded. Migi took in the newcomer, a slender, fairly attractive young woman with pale blonde hair similar to her monster's. She was wearing what he could only assume was meant to be a fancy outfit, a pale knee-length skirt with slits on each side running up slightly below her hips, over white leggings. A poncho-like veil of white cloth surrounded her upper body down to her elbows, bar the slit at the front allowing her to move more easily, and under that she wore a white shirt adorned with intricate black and gold patterns. The Duel Disk on her arm was a plain silver model, quite compact and elegant in design. Kagi looked at him with pale eyes, so pale he wasn't entirely sure what color they were meant to be.

"Who are you?" she asked, voice quiet and soft.

"Tadashi Migi," he replied.

"Kagi Gisei, at your service," she spoke in turn. "I see you know Higure-san already." He gave a slight nod.

"Were you at the Academia entrance exams?" Migi asked. "I don't remember seeing you there."

"No... I took my exam privately a few days before everyone else. My father's one of the governors," Kagi explained. "So I get priority on my entrance exam."

"Ah," the Mokey Mokey user nodded. "What was the result?" At this, Kagi bowed her head, as though the result was some kind of shame.

"I won... easily," she murmured. The words sent surprise through him, why was she shamed that she'd _won_? If she didn't want to attend the Academia, why apply?

"Higure-san! Kagi-chan!" The trio turned and saw Shimo running up, the young man wearing a brilliant smile. "Huh... Tadashi-san, what're you doing here?"

"I found Higure-san while she was walking, and she let me come along," Migi explained. "How are you, Shimo-san?"

"Fine, thanks," Shimo smiled. "It's... nice to see you." His smile faltered ever-so-slightly, most wouldn't have noticed, but Migi did. "So, Higure-san, mind telling me why you hung up earlier? It's not like you to be so... rude."

"Sorry," Himawari apologized. "But I'd rather not say, Shimo-san." Shimo's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Don't you think Kagi-chan and I deserve some explanation?"

"You do, but I would rather not say." His smile evaporated, replaced by a neutral expression.

"Shimo-kun, just leave it," Kagi sighed. "Higure-san doesn't want to answer."

"Tell us, Himawari-san," Shimo said, causing Himawari to suddenly shoot a glare at him. "We're friends, aren't we? Why do you feel offended by us?"

"I'd rather not say!" she snapped.

"Stop it, both of you," Kagi warned. Migi just watched, intrigued.

"_Maybe we can steer this into a Duel..." _He smiled slightly. "Tell me, what's the problem, Shimo-san?"

"It's none of your business," Himawari said coldly.

"She's right, actually," Kagi noted, shooting him a glare which he just shrugged off.

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Shimo finally said. Migi's eyes flashed brief disappointment, before he pursued his lips in mock-thought.

"Well, whatever it may be, perhaps a Duel could solve it?" he offered. "If Shimo-san were to win, then, Higure-san, you could share with your friends whatever they want to know. While if Higure-san wins, she can continue to keep whatever it is withheld." The two looked at him, and Shimo nodded.

"That sounds fair enough," he said. "Alright with you, Higure-san?"

Himawari thought for a moment. "Very well, then. We are at a dueling ground, after all." Migi gave a smile which no-one but Kagi noticed.

"What're you smiling about?" she asked quietly as her friends started to walk towards the nearest empty dueling field.

"Oh, nothing," Migi answered, moving towards the stands. "C'mon, Kagi-san, let's watch." Kagi stayed still for a moment, before slowly following him...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Himawari and Shimo stood opposite one another, Duel Disks at the ready. Himawari's Disk was a regal, plain white adorned with stark black kanji symbols, whereas Shimo's was bright gold like the sun overhead.

"Let's do this," Shimo declared, prompting a curt nod from Himawari in return. The two drew their opening hands.

"Duel!"

_**Himawari 4000LP/Shimo 4000LP**_

"You can start," Himawari said.

"Thanks," Shimo nodded, drawing a sixth card and smiling slightly. _"Here you are." _

"I summon the Elemental Hero Neos Alius!" A flash of light tore from the sky overhead and struck down, forming into the image of a hero clad in a white full-bodysuit with blue and red highlights, a golden gem set into the mask over his eyes. Clenching his fists, Neos Alius rose, settling into a battle-ready stance (1900/1300).

"I place one face-down, and end my turn!" The reversed card appeared behind Neos Alius.

_**Himawari 4000LP/Shimo 4000LP**_

"Draw," Himawari said calmly. "I summon Inaba White Rabbit." She played the card, and in a dim flicker of light, a ghostly white and purple rabbit appeared before her, laughing mischievously (700/500).

"Inaba White Rabbit can attack the player directly, so Inaba White Rabbit, attack!" The rabbit tore forwards, dodging around Neos Alius to ram into Shimo, sending him staggering back.

(_Shimo 3300LP_)

With a chuckle the rabbit withdrew back to Himawari, who played two cards. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Spring of Rebirth, and the Field Spell Card, Ame-no-mihashira." First, a large fountain formed behind her, topped by a statue of a naked woman with splendid white wings, and then the area around them faded into white light which reformed into a great field of grass, at the center of which was a white pillar reaching up into the heavens. "Now, I set a card and end my turn." A reverse card appeared before her.

"Inaba White Rabbit returns to my hand," the rabbit faded away and its card appeared in her hand, "which activates Spring of Rebirth, giving me an extra five-hundred Life Points." She glowed with a soft green light.

_**Himawari 4500LP/Shimo 3300LP**_

"I draw!" Shimo declared. "Now I use the effect of my Elemental Hero Neos Alius, Normal Summoning it again to activate its Gemini Effect!" Light flashed and sparked across Neos Alius' form. "And this effect lets me treat it as Elemental Hero Neos!"

Himawari remained silent.

"Neos Alius, attack her directly!" Shimo commanded. Neos Alius tore forwards, drawing back a fist...

"I use the effect of Ame-no-mihashira, revealing a Spirit monster in my hand to reduce your attack's damage to zero," Himawari said simply, turning around one of the cards in her hand, Inaba White Rabbit. A shield of light appeared before her and caught the blow, causing Shimo to grimace slightly.

"I end my turn," her said, glancing over his hand.

_**Himawari 4500LP/Shimo 3300LP**_

"Draw," Himawari spoke quietly. "I summon Inaba White Rabbit." She played the card and the rabbit appeared once again (700/500). "Inaba White Rabbit attacks you directly." Again the rabbit dashed across the field, dodged around Neos Alius, and rammed into Shimo, sending him staggering.

(_Shimo 2600LP_)

"Now I activate the Trap Card, Spirit's Invitation," her Trap lifted up, depicting a spirit dragging a decaying man into a shattered mirror-like gate. "And I end my turn." Inaba White Rabbit faded away, and the green glow surrounded her.

(_Himawari 5000LP_)

"Now my Spirit's Invitation activates, when a Spirit monster returns to my hand, I can send one of your monsters back to the owner's hand," the young woman said as Neos Alius flashed out of existence, card appearing back in Shimo's hand. "Because a monster returned to the owner's hand, Spring of Rebirth activates again." Once again the green glow surrounded her body.

_**Himawari 5500LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"_Damn!" _Shimo thought as he drew. _"Himawari can just keep direct-attacking with that rabbit, then returning it to her hand while bouncing my monsters, and gaining more Life Points!"_

"I activate the Spell Card, Magical Mallet!" he declared. "I can return any number of cards from my hand to my Deck, shuffle, and redraw the same number of cards." He immediately took all the cards in his hand bar Neos Alius and placed them onto his Deck, which shuffled, then he drew five cards, smirking slightly. _"Perfect." _

"I play the Spell Card, Double Summon!" he announced, playing the card. "This gives me an extra Normal Summon this turn, so I summon Elemental Hero Neos Alius, and Evocator Chevalier!" The comet of light erupted from above and crashed down, forming into Neos Alius (1900/1300), while a flash of vibrant flame formed into a crimson-armored knight with a helm shaped like flames and a crimson cape flapping around his form. The Chevalier drew a scimitar, gazing fiercely at Himawari (1900/900).

"Neos Alius, direct attack on the player!" The superhero tore forwards...

"I use the effect of Ame-no-mihashira," Himawari said calmly, revealing Inaba White Rabbit and causing the shield of light to form before her. As Neos Alius retreated from his failed attack, the light faded.

"Evocator Chevalier, direct attack!" Evocator Chevalier rushed towards the young woman, raising his blade.

"I use the effect of my Field Spell again," she retorted, revealing a copy of Gundari. The barrier of light formed once more, and the sword rebounded from the impact, Shimo's knight retreating.

"Oh, come on!" Shimo muttered "I place one card face-down and end my turn!" The reversed card appeared behind Evocator Chevalier.

_**Himawari 5500LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"Draw." Himawari drew her next card. "Now I pay five-hundred Life Points to keep Spirit's Invitation." A crimson aura surrounded her and she winced slightly.

(_Himawari 5000LP_)

"I summon my Inaba White Rabbit." For the third time, the white and purple rabbit appeared before her, chuckling (700/500).

"And I activate... Gemini Spark!" Shimo declared, one of his face-downs lifting. "With this, I sacrifice a Level Four Gemini monster," Neos Alius burst into crackling light, "destroy a card on the field," Neos Alius tore across the field and struck into the Spirit's Invitation card, shattering it in a burst of lightning, "and draw a card." He drew once.

"Inaba White Rabbit, direct attack on the player!" Himawari declared fiercely. The rabbit launched across the field...

Shimo smiled. "Trap Card, open! Hero Blast!" Himawari swore under her breath. "With this, I can take a Normal Elemental Hero from the Graveyard and put it in my hand," he took Neos Alius from his Graveyard, "then destroy one of your monsters with equal or lower attack points to that monster!" A burst of force exploded from the Trap and struck Inaba White Rabbit head-on, shattering the monster. Himawari looked on, aghast, as she placed the card into her Graveyard.

"I end my turn," she muttered...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Shimo-san's quite the player," Migi commented, looking on at the Duel.

"He knows how to use his cards," Kagi confirmed. "But he should have destroyed the Field Spell."

Migi considered. "True. Leaving Spirit's Invitation would have meant Higure-san would need to choose between a constant drain on Life Points, or simply removing it herself. Leaving Spring of Rebirth is still a bad idea either way, since Higure-san can use that to alleviate the problems with her Spirit monsters while also negating the cost of Spirit's Invitation."

"But... then again, maybe Shimo-kun has a plan," the young woman replied...

M-I-R-R-O-R

_**Himawari 5000LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"Draw," Shimo said, smiling. "I summon my Neos Alius!" Neos Alius shot from above and landed before his master for the third time of the Duel (1900/1300). "Now, Neos Alius, direct attack!" His hero rocketed forwards...

"I activate the effect of my Field Spell," Himawari replied, revealing Gundari and causing the barrier of light to block the attack.

"Evocator Chevalier, direct attack the player!" Shimo declared, gesturing wildly. Evocator Chevalier raced forwards, and this time Himawari had no counter, allowing the blow to land and slash across her form.

(_Himawari 3100LP_)

The crimson-armored knight retreated to Shimo's field once again as the young man placed a card down, causing its face-down image to appear behind Neos Alius. "Turn end."

_**Himawari 3100LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"Draw," Himawari murmured, glancing over her hand, which currently contained five cards, Gundari, Next World, Astral Shift, Double Attack and the just-drawn Otohime.

She considered, and decided on an option. "I summon Otohime." In a flash of illusory radiance, her monster appeared, a beautiful woman clad in loose pink silk garments, with flowing fiery-red hair. Otohime gave a dazzling smile as she elegantly slid into a dancing pose (0/100). "I choose not to use Otohime's effect." She paused for a moment. "Now I end my turn, so Otohime returns to my hand." The woman faded away, and an emerald glow surrounded her owner from Spring of Rebirth.

_**Himawari 3600LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"_Hm," _Shimo thought as he drew, running his tongue over his teeth. _"Higure-san can stop damage from two direct attacks due to her Field Spell." _He glanced across his hand, which contained Future Samurai, Miracle Fusion, Hero Solidarity, Honest and Neos Spiral Force. _"All fairly useless... Samurai is only really good for destroying monsters and Higure-san would just let her attack through, Honest could attack and return to my hand, but wouldn't do much damage... Hero Solidarity needs E-Heroes in the Graveyard, so does Miracle Fusion... and Neos Spiral Force needs me to have Neos out and doesn't deal with the immediate problem..."_

He glanced up. _"If I could coerce her to attack Future Samurai while Neos Alius' Gemini effect was activate, I could tag-team Neos Spiral Force with Honest to hit back with enough damage to win, but she'd probably catch onto that trick and I don't have Staunch Defender yet_. _And if I try to use Spiral Force offensively in a direct attack, her Field Spell can block it."_

"I summon Future Samurai," he decided, playing the card. Light flashed before him and shaped itself into the form of a coldly beautiful young woman clad in an electric-blue kimono, with neatly tied-back black hair. The blue visor over her eyes flashed slightly in the light as she drew her katana, which had a strange pale green sheen to the blade (1600/1200).

"Now, Neos Alius, Evocator Chevalier, direct attack on the player!" The superhero and the knight charged, only to be repulsed as Himawari silently revealed Gundari and Otohime, causing Ame-no-mihashira to activate and form the light barrier between her and the attacking monsters, stopping them dead in their tracks.

As his first two monsters leapt back, Shimo smiled. "Future Samurai, direct attack!" His samurai charged and slashed her katana across Himawari, who winced in pain.

(_Himawari 2000LP_)

"Turn end," he finished, sliding Neos Spiral Force into his Disk and causing it to appear as a reversed card before him.

_**Himawari 2000LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"Draw," Himawari spoke, smiling slightly as she saw the card. "I summon Maharaghi." A strange Dogu idol made of brown stone took form before her (1200/1700). "Maharaghi's effect doesn't activate until my next Draw Phase, so for now I activate Next World!"

The Spell appeared before her, depicting an angelic being standing behind a shining golden orb. "With Next World, I select one of your face-up monsters, like Evocator Chevalier, and then I can Special Summon a Spirit from my hand with the same Level as the selected monster, ignoring summoning conditions. I summon Gundari!" Flames burst into life before her, reshaping into a towering, imposing six-armed man, holding items like a wheel and trident, a golden crown perched atop his fiery red hair (1000/200).

"And now... I Overlay my Level Four Maharaghi and Level Four Gundari!" The two monsters faded into orbs of brown and crimson light, beginning to circle as a crimson vortex ripped open beneath them. "I construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters!" The lights shot down into the vortex, which exploded into a maelstrom of golden light. "Exceed Summon! Arise... _Kin-ki_!" The maelstrom shattered, revealing a towering golden figure, demonic in appearance with large horns and a fanged mouth. Raising both muscular arms, the Exceed Monster gave a roar, before settling into an imposing statuesque stance, two white lights orbiting its form (1900/2600).

"Hm... Kin-ki, attack Evocator Chevalier!"

"What?" Shimo exclaimed as the golden oni suddenly erupted forwards, moving much faster than its appearance implied, and hammering a punch into Evocator Chevalier which shattered the knight into pixels. "Your monster should be destroyed as well!"

"Kin-ki can't be destroyed in battle as long as it has an Exceed Material attached," Himawari explained.

M-I-R-R-O-R

"I don't get it," a spectator seated next to Kagi spoke. "Why not attack Future Samurai? It had less attack points than Evocator Chevalier."

"My guess is that since Shimo-san's Deck seems to have a lot of Light monsters, Higure-san is playing around the risk of him using an Honest from his hand," Migi commented. "Would you say that's right, Kagi-san?"

Kagi nodded. "Shimo-kun does have a copy of Honest in his Deck, so that's probably the best explanation. Higure-san avoided attacking the Light-Attribute monsters in favor of destroying his Fire-Attribute Chevalier."

M-I-R-R-O-R

"I activate the Trap Card, Hero Signal!" Shimo shouted, his Trap lifting up and emitting a spotlight towards the sky, with a black H visible within the beam. "Using this, I Special Summon Elemental Hero Heat from my Deck!" In a flash of flames, a muscular hero appeared, clad in a bodysuit colored like flames. With a cry, Heat clenched his fists, the spotlight overhead fading away (1600/1200). "And due to Heat's effect, he gains two-hundred points for each Hero I have in play!" Heat glowed with an aura of burning light (2000/1200).

"I set one reverse card and end my turn," Himawari said, playing the card, which appeared before her.

_**Himawari 2000LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"I draw!" Shimo declared. "Now, I Gemini Summon my Future Samurai." A glow of electric-blue aura surrounded the samurai, who held her katana with an air of new confidence. "And I activate her effect, by removing one monster in my Graveyard from play, I can destroy a face-up monster, like Kin-ki!" He pocketed Evocator Chevalier and Future Samurai made a slash with her blade, sending an arc of light towards Kin-ki...

An instant before impact, the Exceed Monster grabbed one of the light-orbs circling it and crushed the orb in hand, causing a sheen of white light to coat its body. The arc struck home, but shattered on impact and took the sheen of light with it.

"By removing one Exceed Material from Kin-ki, I can prevent its destruction by a card effect," Himawari explained softly.

Shimo played a Spell. "Sorry, Higure-san, but either way this is the end of the line. I activate Hero Mask, letting me send one Elemental Hero from my Deck to the Graveyard to treat a monster I control as that Hero for the turn." He took a card from his Deck and flashed it to her. "So I'll discard my Elemental Hero Neos, to treat Future Samurai as Neos for the turn." He placed Elemental Hero Neos into his Graveyard, and a white aura of cosmic energy surrounded his Future Samurai. "And since I now control an Elemental Hero Neos, I can activate the Trap Card, _Neos Spiral Force_!" The named Trap lifted up. "Neos Spiral Force lets me choose a monster other than Neos, and that monster has its attack score doubled for the turn, while Neos can't attack in return." Elemental Hero Heat began to glow with incredible energy (4000/1300).

M-I-R-R-O-R

"He's going all-or-nothing," Kagi murmured. "Shimo-kun... you won't beat her like that."

"He's got enough attack power to reduce her Life Points to nothing," Migi pointed out.

"It doesn't change her face-down card," Kagi mused. "Higure-san still has a face-down card which could counter the attack."

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Now, Heat, attack Kin-ki!" Shimo commanded. The blazing hero erupted forwards, swathed in power...

"I activate... Astral Shift!" Himawari countered. "Your attack becomes a direct attack, and I use the effect of my Ame-no-mihashira to negate the damage!" A transparent, ghostly image of the young woman appeared in the path of Elemental Hero Heat, and then the barrier of light from Ame-no-mihashira formed, stopping the attacking superhero dead in his tracks as Himawari revealed Otohime from her hand.

"Damn," Shimo muttered, fully aware he had no way to get past his opponent's defenses and his monster would lose the points bonuses it had gained by the End Phase.

"Due to Astral Shift's second effect, I draw a card," the young woman added, drawing once as her illusory counterpart faded away.

Shimo glanced across his hand, and gave a soft sigh. "Turn end." As he spoke the words, the glow around Heat shattered into pixels (2000/1200).

_**Himawari 2000LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"My Maharaghi's effect activates, letting me check the top card of my Deck and return it to the top or bottom," Himawari said, checking the card and placing it at the bottom of the Deck. "Draw." She drew her next card.

"I summon Otohime," she played the card, causing the elegant and beautiful young woman to appear before her (0/100). "Now I'll activate Otohime's effect, changing your Elemental Hero Heat to defense mode." Otohime glowed, and Heat slowly fell to a defensive crouch (2000/1200). "Kin-ki, attack Elemental Hero Heat." The golden oni tore forwards and smashed Elemental Hero Heat with a punch, shattering him into pixels.

"I end my turn, so Otohime returns to my hand," the young woman finished, her monster vanishing as an emerald glow surrounded her.

_**Himawari 2500LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"I draw," Shimo smiled, seeing the card. "I activate Future Samurai's effect, banishing Heat from my Graveyard to destroy Kin-ki!" He pocketed the card and Future Samurai slashed an arc of energy towards Kin-ki...

"I remove an Exceed Material to prevent Kin-ki's destruction," Himawari replied, her monster grabbing its remaining material monster and forming the sheen of light around its body, the light and the energy arc shattering into pixels.

"I activate the Spell Card... _Parallel World Fusion_!" Shimo declared, playing a card. "Using this, at the cost of not Special Summoning other monsters this turn, I return Fusion Material Monsters for an Elemental Hero from my banished zone to the Deck, and summon that Hero! So I return Heat and Chevalier to my Deck," he placed Elemental Hero Heat and Evocator Chevalier on top of his Deck, which auto-shuffled, "and summon _Elemental Hero Nova Master_!"

A flash of brilliant fire exploded before him, from which stepped an impressive figure adorned in red, gold and orange armor over a black bodysuit. A magnificent red cape swished and flapped behind him as Nova Master clenched his fists, flames surrounding them as amber eyes glared from his fire-shaped helmet at Himawari (2600/2100).

"Damn," Himawari muttered.

"Now, Neos Alius, attack her Kin-ki!" Shimo declared. "And I activate an effect from my hand!" He flipped around one card, that of Honest. "Honest's effect lets me discard it," he slotted the card into his Graveyard, "to have my Light monster gain power equal to the points of the monster it's battling! _Honest Wings_!" A pair of radiant white wings erupted from Neos Alius' shoulder-blades, casting a glorious light across the field as the monster charged, drawing back his fist (3800/1300).

The hero punched Kin-ki so hard a shockwave struck both duelists, sending them staggering back a step. Cracks ran across the golden oni's flesh, and then it burst apart into shards, which in turn shattered into pixels. Himawari gave a cry of pain as Neos Alius swept forwards and struck her with a fierce kick, before beating down his wings and launching back across the field to Shimo.

(_Himawari 600LP_)

"This is over, Higure-san," Shimo said with a smile. "Nova Master, direct attack! _Fires of Justice_!" Nova Master cupped his hands and an orb of white-hot flames formed in his grip, before he hurled it towards Himawari...

"I use Ame-no-mihashira's effect!" she countered quickly, revealing Otohime. The orb struck the barrier formed by her field spell and exploded into a blaze of fire, washing over the barrier for a few seconds before fading to embers.

"No defenses left," Shimo muttered. "Future Samurai, direct attack on the player!" His samurai tore forwards, raising her katana...

"No, Shimo-san," his opponent replied quietly. "I have one shield left. I activate the effect of my Field Spell!" She flipped around another card, revealing Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, and Future Samurai's blade rebounded off of the mystical barrier. Shimo could only stare, aghast. Every final strike he made had failed... even this one.

"Turn end," he muttered, causing the wings to burst from Neos Alius' back in an explosion of pixels (1900/1300).

_**Himawari 600LP/Shimo 2600LP**_

"Draw," Himawari said quietly.

M-I-R-R-O-R

"She has to end it this turn," Migi noted. "Otherwise he has three direct attacks, all of which can win, and possibly four if he gets another monster."

"She'll end it," Kagi smiled. "I can tell."

M-I-R-R-O-R

"I summon the Tuner Monster, Ame-no-Uzume!" Himawari declared, playing a card. A sunbeam instantly formed, shining from above as a monster appeared, a beautiful woman with soft features, clad in a fiery orange and silver-gray kimono, the colors of dawn. The sunlight sparkled in her eyes, masking their true color as she gave a smile and began to dance (1000/700). "Due to Ame-no-Uzume's effect, during the turn I Normal Summon her, I can Normal Summon an additional Spirit monster. I summon Otohime." For the third time, the pink-clad woman appeared before (0/100). "I use Otohime's effect to switch Future Samurai to defense mode." Light surrounded Otohime, causing Future Samurai to kneel defensively (1600/1200).

"And now... I Tune my Level Three Ame-no-Uzume, to my Level Three Otohime... Synchro Summon!" The monsters soared upwards and faded into six glowing stars, shining as they collided in a flash of brilliant sunlight...

"_Bringer of the celestial relics which pacified this nation in the ancient past, return from the legends once again! Take up the relics against the evils of the world! Synchro Summon! Appear before me, Ninigi-no-Mikoto!" _

An orb of radiant sunlight crashed down before her and burst into sparkling motes, from which stood a noble man who bore some resemblance to Amaterasu. He wore a simple brown kimono, and his black hair was tied back into the topknot of a noble samurai, gazing with golden eyes at Shimo's three monsters. Drawing a katana, Ninigi-no-Mikoto settled into a battle-ready stance (2200/1700).

"Ninigi-no-Mikoto, huh?" Shimo replied. "But he's useless unless you have the Regalia Equip Spells... wait..."

"I equip Ninigi-no-Mikoto with the Sword of Kusanagi!" Himawari declared, playing the card and causing the exalted blade to replace her monster's weapon in a flash of brilliant light. "And that activates one of his effects, meaning that when he battles, he gains one-thousand attack points."

"Damn..."

"Finally... I activate Double Attack, sending the Level Seven Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi from my hand to the Graveyard," she discarded the monster, "to let my Level Six Ninigi-no-Mikoto attack twice this turn." A glow of power surrounded the monster. "Ninigi-no-Mikoto, attack Future Samurai!"

The Synchro Monster ripped across the field and made a mighty slash with the Sword of Kusanagi (3200/1700), cutting through Future Samurai, who cried out and shattered into pixels.

(_Shimo 600LP_)

"Now, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, attack his Elemental Hero Nova Master and finish this," she concluded. Her monster turned and with a single sweeping blow of the Kusanagi, sliced Nova Master in twain, shattering him and ending the Duel.

_**Himawari 600LP/Shimo 0LP**_

Shimo gave a smile as the cards left on the field faded away. "Good game, Higure-san. I guess I won't be getting my answer."

"No, you won't," she replied quietly, "I'm afraid." She turned away, taking the cards from her Disk and forming them back into her full Deck, before placing Kin-ki and Ninigi-no-Mikoto back into the Extra Deck slot.

Shimo looked disappointed, as though he had thought a hard-fought Duel would loosen Himawari's secrecy, only to be foiled. Placing his own cards back into a coherent Deck, and then sliding Nova Master back into his Extra Deck, he turned to the steps behind his position and walked down them, looking sideways to where Migi and Kagi sat, the two discussing.

M-I-R-R-O-R

"A last turn victory again..." Migi murmured. "Does Higure-san do that a lot?"

Kagi shrugged. "She does whenever Shimo or I are watching, but I don't know if it's how she always does things. She's not really the dramatic type."

"_No... she's not," _Migi thought. _"But what is she? I definitely felt something that day... I know I did." _He closed his eyes and recalled Himawari's last move. _"What did she draw? Ame-no-Uzume. It must have been Ame-no-Uzume." _He rubbed a finger across the bridge of his nose, opening his eyes again. _"She drew exactly the card she needed to summon Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Luck, or...?"_

M-I-R-R-O-R

_Card Stats:_

_Monsters:_

Kin-ki

EARTH/ Zombie/Exceed/Effect /Rank 4/ATK: 1900/DEF: 2600

2 Level 4 monsters

As long as this face-up card has a Exceed Material Monster beneath it, it cannot be destroyed by battle. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, you can detach 1 of its Exceed Material Monsters instead.

02

Ame-no-Uzume

LIGHT/ Spellcaster/Spirit/Tuner /Level 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 700

This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to the owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn that this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. During the turn this card is Normal Summoned, in addition to your regular Normal Summon or Set, you may Normal Summon 1 Spirit monster from your hand.

02

Ninigi-no-Mikoto

EARTH/ Warrior/Synchro/Spirit /Level 6/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1700

1 Spirit Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. This card returns to the owner's Extra Deck during the End Phase of the turn that this card is Synchro Summoned or flipped face-up, unless it is equipped with an Equip Spell Card. This card gains the following effects while it is equipped with the appropriate cards: • (Sword of Kusanagi) When this card battles, it gains 1000 ATK until the end of the Damage Step. • ?. • ?.

(The above three cards are my own inventions and creative credit for them goes to me, though credit for helping to design Kin-ki and Ame-no-Uzume also goes to Janime forum user DarkYami.)

_Spells:_

Ame-no-mihashira

Field Spell Card

Image: A large pillar of white stone decorated with ornate carvings, with Izanagi and Izanami walking around it.

When your opponent declares a direct attack, you can reveal 1 Spirit monster in your hand to reduce the Battle Damage from that attack to 0. Cards revealed by this effect remain revealed until this turn's End Phase. ?

(Ame-no-mihashira is my own invention and creative credit for it goes to me, though credit must also be given to Janime forum user DarkYami, for helping me to design it.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Parallel World Fusion

Normal Spell Card

Image: The heroes from Miracle Fusion swirling into one as two silver moons collide in space behind them.

Return your removed from play monsters that are listed as Fusion Material Monsters of an "Elemental Hero" Fusion Monster to the Deck and Special Summon that monster from your Extra Deck. (This is treated as a Fusion Summon). You cannot Special Summon other monsters this turn.

(Parallel World Fusion was released as a promo card in the OCG Premium Pack 12.)

_Traps:_

Neos Spiral Force

Normal Trap Card

Image: Elemental Hero Neos holding out a hand as azure light shines from his palm, emitting green and yellow bolts into a swirling void of darkness.

Activate only while you control a face-up "Elemental Hero Neos". Select 1 other face-up monster you control and double its ATK. "Elemental Hero Neos" cannot attack this turn.

(Neos Spiral Force was first used by Judai in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Super Fusion! Bonds That Transcend Time. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the movie.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Astral Shift

Normal Trap Card

Image: A blast of energy passing harmlessly through Maiden of the Aqua to explode against a being stood behind her.

Activate only when a monster you control is selected as an attack target. Make the attack a direct attack. After damage calculation, draw 1 card.

(Astral Shift was first used by Judai in the GX episode 'Combo of Terror! Zero and Infinity'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of GX.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Next time, the ship sets sail, and aboard it are many who have finally entered the exalted ranks of the students of Duel Academia Central! On this three-hour-long cruise journey to Academia Island, the next generation of students are free to interact and make new friends... and new rivalries. As Himawari, Shimo, Migi and Kagi relax, another student comes along and challenges Kagi, and it results in a Duel! Against a Deck designed for rapid evolution, can Kagi's ceremonial monsters break through to victory?

To find out... it's Chapter Three – Fate of Evolution!


	3. Chapter 3: Fate of Evolution

_**Chapter Three – Fate of Evolution**_

"_I bet you're going to have a really _great _year."_

_The Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who_

A rush of young people surged to the city docks. The subways, the streets, the pathways, all means of transport were packed with those who had managed to achieve entry into Duel Academia Central, heading towards the ship which would take them to the Academia Island.

Though the regular commuters complained about their services being jammed up by teenagers, secretly many of them were smiling, wishing the next generation well on their quest to try and become Pro League Duelists...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Himawari sat in the train between Shimo and Kagi, gazing down at the Deck in her Duel Disk.

"You ready, Higure-san?" Shimo asked. "After all, this is it! Duel Academia Central!" He punched the air, narrowly missing hitting a businessman in a neat suit beside him, who shot the young man a look of irritation. "Sorry."

"Yes," she replied. "I'm ready."

"Where do you think we'll all be?" the young man asked, leaning back and resting his head on the window. "Osiris Red? Ra Yellow? Obelisk Blue, maybe?"

"I doubt Obelisk Blue," Kagi noted. "Usually to reach Obelisk Blue in the first year, you have to attend a prep school. Otherwise you have to do exceptionally well on your exams."

"Ra Yellow, I'd say," Himawari commented. "That's where I think I'll be." Kagi nodded.

"I think Ra Yellow too," she murmured.

"But you attended prep school, didn't you, Kagi-san?" the other girl asked.

"Yeah... I just don't think my test scores were up to Obelisk Blue standard," Kagi replied, glancing downwards at her hands, which were placed on her lap, one atop the other. "There were a couple of questions on the theory exam I know I screwed up."

"Like what, Kagi-chan?" Shimo asked. "I know I messed up on that Missing the Timing question."

"What, the Yubel one?" Himawari cut in. "Hate Buster causes Yubel to miss the timing, if you use it you can't summon Yubel – Terror Incarnate." Shimo slapped his forehead.

"Urgh, I know!" he burst out. "I thought I'd screwed that up when I answered, and I went home to look it up afterward, and just... urgh!"

"Not that one," Kagi replied. "I knew about Yubel. It was one of those Duel Puzzle questions which got me, the Blackwing one."

"The one where the opponent has Grinder Golem, The Dark Door and Royal Oppression," Himawari asked, "while you have Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind and a face-down Dark World Dealings, plus Shura the Blue Flame and Vayu the Emblem of Honor in your hand?"

"Yes, that one. It's impossible! If you manage to Synchro Summon, the opponent would just Royal Oppression the monster away!"

"No it's not, it's a test on your rulings knowledge," Himawari explained.

"Huh?"

"Do either of you have paper?" Kagi opened the rucksack on the seat beside her and pulled out a notepad, plus a pen, passing them to her friend. Himawari quickly sketched out the field as established, plus points values. The opponent, as said, controlled Grinder Golem (3000/300), The Dark Door and Royal Oppression, and had no cards in its hand. The player, on the other hand, had Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind (1300/400), a face-down Dark World Dealings, and two monsters in hand, Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame and Blackwing – Vayu the Emblem of Honor. The opponent had 2600 Life Points, while the player had 1400.

"Right, so if you use Dark World Dealings, you draw Black Pendant and the computer draws Tremendous Fire but has to discard it right away," she explained. "So here's what you do, first you use Gale the Whirlwind's effect to halve Grinder Golem's attack and defense points." She wrote down the action, and quickly amended Grinder Golem's points (1500/150). "Next, you use Dark World Dealings, making each player draw a card and discard one, so you draw Black Pendant and the computer draws Tremendous Fire."

"What you do then is discard Vayu the Emblem of Honor." She wrote this action out and added 'Player Graveyard: Vayu, Opponent's Graveyard: Tremendous Fire'. "Next, summon Shura the Blue Flame." Again she wrote the action out as in their heads, they imagined Shura (1800/1200) appearing on the field. "Then you Tune Gale and Shura to Synchro Summon Blackwing Armor Master." She wrote out the line, amending the Graveyard again to include the two materials, and the field with Armor Master (2500/1500).

"What I imagine the computer is programmed to do then is use Royal Oppression, paying eight-hundred Life Points to negate the Special Summon and destroy Armor Master," Himawari continued, writing this out as the computer losing eight-hundred Life Points (_Computer 1800LP_) and Armor Master going to the Graveyard.

"So?" Shimo asked. "You just failed the puzzle." Himawari shook her head.

"No, it looks that way. Next, you use Vayu's effect, removing it and Armor Master from play to summon a Blackwing Synchro whose Level equals their combined Levels, like Silverwind the Ascendant." She wrote this out and added Silverwind (2800/2000) to the field profile.

"And the computer just uses Royal Oppression again," Kagi said with a shake of her head.

"It can't," her friend smiled, sending looks of surprise across both faces. "You see, Vayu the Emblem of Honor has an effect ruling which states removing it from play is part of the effect, not a cost. Essentially if you try to use any effect which negates that Special Summon effect, Vayu will just activate again until it's permitted to go through, so the computer would just waste its time using Royal Oppression to try and negate the summon. After that, all you do is equip Silverwind with Black Pendant and attack Grinder Golem to win."

"Huh," Shimo noted. "I didn't know that."

"Which can't have helped your exam considering how many marks that question was worth," Kagi muttered.

"You didn't get that question right either, Kagi-chan," he teased.

"True," she said softly.

"Any other questions you had trouble with?" Himawari asked. "I had one, that one regarding Pole Position, Vorse Raider, Judge Man and Axe of Despair."

"I know that one," Kagi replied. "The answer is that whichever player had Pole Position activated it illegally. You're not allowed to make a move which results in an infinite loop, so you just write that the situation shouldn't happen and if it did, whichever player activated the Pole Position should automatically destroy it to resolve the loop, and that they'd probably be penalized."

"Ah, okay," her friend said quietly. "That makes sense now."

"I can't even remember all the questions I screwed up," Shimo groaned. "I just remember the really big ones, like that Light and Darkness Dragon one... urgh."

"Please don't tell me you put it would actually negate the effect of Inaba White Rabbit," Himawari said, her face meeting her palm as she sighed.

"Yeah..." he groaned.

"Idiot," she muttered, elbowing him softly. "If Light and Darkness Dragon tries to negate a Spirit monster's effect which would return it to the hand, the effect just keeps activating until Light and Darkness Dragon is too weak to stop said effect."

"But you _run_ Spirits, of course you know that!" Shimo exclaimed. "I don't use them, I use Heroes and Gemini monsters!"

"Still, Shimo-baka, it's a fairly well-known ruling."

"To people who run Spirits, maybe, but not to me!"

"I'm surprised that question was there," Kagi cut in. "I mean, Light and Darkness Dragon is one-of-a-kind, isn't it?"

"Not any more," Himawari replied. "I heard they're planning to start mass-producing it... I think somehow they got Manjoume to agree to it."

"Any news on mass-producing the Planet Series?" Shimo asked, suddenly interested.

"No, of course not," she said, with a slight roll of her eyes. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time someone asked to mass-produce the Planet Series? They got shouted down by Manjoume, Fubuking, Edo Phoenix... how many others? God knows why, but apparently the guys don't want those cards being released to the general public."

"Any other cards they're planning to expand out for mass production?" Kagi questioned.

"I heard something about making it easier to get hold of those Earthbound Gods they brought out in that set ages back," Himawari shrugged. "I don't know why anyone wants the things, sure they're powerful, but needing a Field Spell? Really?" She shrugged. "Why they're even called Gods I don't know, they're nowhere near the level of the three Egyptian God Cards." Both of her friends nodded somewhat sagely, everyone who knew anything about dueling knew about the Egyptian God Cards. "Then again, some bright spark decided to make those Aesir cards..."

"Which are at least somewhat closer to the Egyptian Gods," Kagi mused. "After all, you see the similarities, both sets are composed of monsters which need three sacrifices from the field, both sets have some kind of defense against card effects, both sets are exceedingly powerful..."

"The backstory on those things is absolute bullshit," Shimo cut in. "Growing on _trees_? _Really_? Who in their right mind came up with that sort of crap?"

"It's meant to be symbolic of the mythology, Shimo-kun," the girl replied. "In Norse Mythology the nine worlds were said to be connected by the World Tree, Yggdrasil, which I presume is what those trees symbolize." Shimo looked like he was about to argue. "But I agree, it is absolute rubbish."

"And then we have Sleeping Giant Thud," Shimo muttered. "What were they smoking when they made that absurd thing? I'd give a medal to whoever managed to summon it before they lost."

"I swear that was a cruel joke," Himawari said. "The Common Man's God, they call it. Common, yes, god, yes... but you'll probably never summon it."

"Hm, what other rubbish monsters have they tried advertising too much?" Kagi mused. "Oh, yes, the Machine Emperors."

"Don' remind me of those things," Shimo muttered. "I still want to shoot whoever decided it was a smart idea to make sets of cards based around the idea of combining mecha. Honestly, did they think that maybe it's _hard _to build a Deck when you're stuffing in at the minimum six monsters just for the basic levels of those things, not to mention the upgrade components."

"And that stunt they pulled to advertise Grannel was completely ridiculous," Himawari muttered. "There is no way an old man can keep pace with a D-Wheel."

"Gotta admit it was funny though," Shimo said with a slight chuckle. "I have an internet friend over in the United States who really got a laugh out of it, you see, when they released D-Wheels over there they renamed them 'Duel Runners', and then you've got this guy running at the same speed as a D-Wheel..." Both of his friends glanced at him for a moment, then both of them laughed, amused.

"_The train will arrive at the dockside station in two minutes," _computerized tones chimed from a speaker overhead. _"Repeat, the train will arrive at the dockside station in two minutes." _

"Looks like we're almost there," Himawari noted, passing the notepad and pen back to Kagi, who stashed them both in her rucksack, the three standing ready to leave the train...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Several minutes later, the three emerged into brilliant sunlight, beholding a large crowd gathered at one dock in particularly. Moored next to this dock was a large white ship with the emblem of Central Duel Academia emblazoned on its side, shining in the sunlight.

"And there it is," Kagi murmured. "Our ride to Duel Academia."

"Higure-san, Shimo-san, Kagi-san!" a voice called, the three turning to see Migi standing on the fringe of the large crowd and waving to them. They moved to the young man's side, and he smiled. "It's good to see you."

"Hi, Tadashi-san," Shimo said, nodding slightly.

"It's nice to see you too," Kagi replied, smiling.

"How long until boarding?" Himawari asked.

"Five minutes," Migi said with a quick glance at his watch. "I'd have thought you'd get here quicker, Higure-san, you strike me as the type to be at an appointment as important as this hours in advance."

"I would have been, but Shimo-san overslept," she replied, shooting a glance at her friend, who gave a somewhat sheepish smile.

"I told you, Higure-san, my alarm clock broke!"

"Right," Kagi muttered under her breath.

"So, what are your plans for the journey?" Migi asked. "Planning to practice? Rest?"

"I'll be practicing," Himawari said. "I want to get to know people before we get to the Academia." Migi nodded, clearly agreeing.

"I'll be doing the same," he confirmed. "What about you, Shimo-san, Kagi-san?"

"I think I'll just sit and watch the dueling," Kagi said. "And get something to eat, I heard they were selling food on the journey."

"I'm gonna get some dueling in," Shimo smiled. "I want to show these people just who's entering this Academia!"

"I'm sure you will," Migi said, with a subtle glance at Himawari, who rolled her eyes.

"_Alright, Duel Academia students, listen up!" _the voice came from a man with a loudspeaker on the deck of the boat. _"My name, for those who don't know, is Odayakana Senshi, and I'm one of the teachers of History at Duel Academia! I'd like you to form into orderly queues at the gangplanks of the boat and walk up them in an orderly fashion, with no pushing or shoving! I'd hate to be fishing people out of the water and having the port authorities breathing down my neck next time I come to pick up students!" _

"Isn't that the proctor you dueled?" Shimo asked Himawari.

"Yes," she nodded. "I didn't know he was a teacher."

"Most of the proctors are now," Kagi explained. "According to father, it cuts back on costs to just pay the staff overtime for acting as proctors, rather than hiring outside staff to conduct the exams."

"Fair point," Migi said. "I hope the proctor I dueled isn't one of them."

"Oheina-sensei?" Shimo asked, earning a nod of confirmation from Migi. "I'm with you, I wouldn't want to have that guy as a teacher. Especially not after beating him."

"We'd better line up," Himawari muttered, striding away...

M-I-R-R-O-R

After about ten minutes of standing in line, the four had finally got onto the boat, only to be forced into another crowd facing Senshi, who had retreated to a gantry in front of the bridge.

"_The trip to Duel Academia Island take roughly three hours!" _he called through the megaphone. _"So you students have this ship to entertain yourselves for that time! But, there are ground rules! One, no alcohol, drugs or sexual activity permitted! Anyone found breaking this rule will be taking the boat back home! Two, no violence! Three, obey all instructions given by the crew and the Academia staff on this ship! You can Duel, there's food in the hall below-decks and in general, you can socialize and have fun until we reach the island! Dismissed!"_

And with that, the crowd began to disperse.

"Time to show them who's arrived!" Shimo declared, striding away into the mass of students and slotting his Deck into his Duel Disk.

"I think I'll go and get to know the competition as well," Migi smiled, walking after Shimo. "And make sure Shimo-san doesn't irritate anyone too much." Himawari was left standing with Kagi.

"You're going to just sit and pass the time, right?" she asked her friend.

"That's right," Kagi nodded. "Good luck with your Duels, Higure-san." With that, she too walked away, leaving Himawari alone on the deck...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Shimo was starting to regret mouthing off.

Due to his words, he was now facing a student he now expected would be given a blue blazer when they arrived, considering the monster in front of him, a towering knight clad in masterfully-crafted white, black and gold armor adorned with precious gems, wielding a longsword and kite shield. Bangs of dark purple hair spilled onto the Arcana Knight Joker's breastplate as he held his sword ready, gazing at Shimo with a deep, solemn expression (3800/2500). Though his opponent controlled no other cards, Shimo knew the Arcana Knight was probably enough, and besides, the Obelisk-material student still had 3600 Life Points.

Shimo, on the other hand had 2100 Life Points after Joker's attack on his Evocator Chevalier last turn. He controlled the aforementioned Chevalier and the Birthright Trap he had used to revive it. He drew a card, staring down the knight as he regarded his hand.

"I equip my Chevalier with Supervise," he said, playing an Equip Spell. "This Equip Spell activates the equipped monster's Gemini effect." An aura of writhing flames surrounded Evocator Chevalier, who stood more proudly, holding his blade slightly higher. "Next," he played a card, "I summon Elemental Hero Prisma."

There was a brilliant flash of light, and when it faded a crystalline figure stood before Shimo, rough-edged with many facets to its body. Prisma was roughly angelic, with jagged, angular wings and a sea-green crystal body which reflected the sunlight (1700/1100).

"What's the point?" his opponent asked.

"I activate my Chevalier's effect, sending Supervise to the Graveyard to destroy your Arcana Knight Joker," Shimo replied as the Equip Spell shattered and Evocator Chevalier made a slash with his scimitar, sending an arc of flame towards Joker...

"I counter with Joker's effect!" the young man snapped. "I toss Justice Bringer from my hand to negate that effect and destroy the monster!" Arcana Knight Joker made a slash with his blade, causing both the flame arc and Evocator Chevalier to burst into pixels as the monster slid into the Graveyard. Regardless, Shimo smiled.

"Because Supervise went to the Graveyard," he said, holding up the Evocator Chevalier card, "come back!" In a flash of flames, the knight reappeared (1900/900).

"What was the point in that?" his puzzled opponent asked.

"Just in case it worked," Shimo shrugged. "Prisma, attack Arcana Knight Joker!" Elemental Hero Prisma raced forwards, drawing back one fist...

"What the...?"

"I toss Honest from my hand, and Prisma gains points equal to your Joker's!" the young man declared, throwing the card into his Graveyard as Prisma exploded with brilliant light (5500/1100) and punched Arcana Knight Joker incredibly hard, causing him to burst into pixels

(_Opponent 1900LP_)

"Now, Chevalier, end it!" Evocator Chevalier tore past Prisma and slashed with his scimitar, ending the Duel in one blow.

_**Shimo 2100LP/Opponent 0LP**_

The card holograms faded away as Shimo smiled at his opponent. "Great game, thanks!" With that, he turned and walked away, looking for a new opponent.

M-I-R-R-O-R

Migi stood opposite a young woman, who was smirking widely, probably due to the presence of a towering clockwork monstrosity on her field, forged like a soldier in Roman armor with a single crimson eye glaring balefully from its helmet (3000/3000). Though he had no idea how exactly the girl had gotten her hands on an Ancient Gear Golem, Migi was more interested in defeating it at that particular moment. Both players were still on full Life Points.

"That was a clever strategy, Sasukuna-san," he commented, glancing over his hand. "Using Blasting Vein with Statue of the Wicked to draw, and summon a Token, and then using Fiend's Sanctuary to secure the second needed sacrifice. And it's an honor to face the Ancient Gear Golem." He played a card. "I pity the fact I shall have to topple a legendary monster. I summon Iofiel."

A shining beam of light flashed down from the ceiling, and coalesced into the form of a suit of white celestial armor with majestic white-feathered wings (1000/800). "Now I activate Iofiel's effect – when it's summoned I can send a Level One Fairy-Type from my Deck to the Graveyard," he took a Mokey Mokey card as it slipped from his Deck, "to have Iofiel gain one-thousand attack points." He placed the card into the Graveyard, and Iofiel glowed with warm golden radiance (2000/800). "Next, I play the Spell Card, Flute of Hammelin. With this, I select one monster which was sent to the Graveyard this turn, and both players must send all copies of that monster from their hands and Decks to the Graveyard." Two more copies of Mokey Mokey slipped out of his Deck, and he placed them into his Graveyard, while Sasukuna didn't move.

"Spell Card, Tri-Wight Zone," the Spell that appeared depicted three Skull Servants rising out of their graves, "I select three Level Two or lower Normal Monsters in my Graveyard, and Special Summon them. Be reborn, _Mokey Mokey_!" In three brilliant bursts of light, the pale blue box-shaped Fairies appeared before him, dully intoning in unison, 'Mokey Mokey...' (300/100x3).

"Unless you have Mokey Mokey Smackdown," Sasukuna began, only to be silenced as he flipped around the card in question, playing it.

"Iofiel, attack Ancient Gear Golem," Migi commanded, the Fairy racing forwards

"Counter with _Mechanized Melee_!" Sasukuna muttered, her monster hurling a devastating punch that smashed Iofiel into shards.

(_Migi 3000LP_)

Instantly all three Mokey Mokey puffed up in rage, turning crimson (3000/100x3).

"Mokey Mokey, bring this to a close," Migi said softly. The three Fairies rushed together, one crashing into Ancient Gear Golem's fist and causing both monsters to shatter, while the remaining two plowed into Sasukuna, knocking her flat and annihilating her Life Points in an instant.

_**Migi 3000LP/Sasukuna 0LP**_

"That was a good game," she groaned, standing as the cards faded to nothing. Migi nodded.

"Yes, it was," he said. "Thank you for it."

M-I-R-R-O-R

Kagi sat in a corner, Duel Disk on her arm, observing the monsters all around. A Gagaga Magician here, Lancer Archfiend there, and in that corner there, a trio of Daybreaker.

As she sat, her mind wandered, and came to a memory...

"_Have fun, Gisei... I hope you have fun..." Tears soaked into the little girl's hair as the woman embraced her close for a few endless moments, and then turned, walking briskly away, shaking as though she were holding in sobs._

"_Mommy!" the girl cried after her mother, staggering forward a step before a hand closed around her wrist, stopping her..._

"Hey, who are you?" Kagi looked up, drawn from her remembrance, to see a young woman who towered over her. She was muscular, very imposing, with a red headband tied around her forehead under bangs of dark hair. She wore a sleeveless black shirt, and a pair of gray trousers, the Duel Disk on her arm a plain ordinary gunmetal color. "I don't remember seeing you at the exams."

"My father's a school governor," Kagi explained. "I took my exams in advance."

"Really? What's your name?"

"Kagi Gisei. And yours?"

"Taneka Nodoka," she replied. "So... you're in. How well do you think you did?"

Kagi shrugged. "Well enough, I guess."

"Hm... I'd like to see your skills myself," Nodoka smiled. "How about a Duel, Kagi-san?" Kagi considered.

"If you want," she finally replied, activating her Duel Disk. Nodoka stepped back, the crowds clearing around them in anticipation of the upcoming Duel, and activated her own Disk. The two young women each drew five cards, gazing at one another as the Life Points counters set at 4000 apiece.

"Duel!"

_**Kagi 4000LP/Nodoka 4000LP**_

"I'll go first," Kagi decided, drawing a card. "I summon Armageddon Knight!" The shadows connected and pooled before her, coalescing into the form of a warrior clad in rusty plate armor, a blood-red scarf slung around his neck and a thick mane of black hair atop his head, goggles covering his eyes. The knight drew a rusty blade, glaring at Nodoka (1400/1200). "Next, I activate the effect of Armageddon Knight, when he's summoned, I can send a Dark monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." She quickly considered. "I'll send my Djinn Releaser of Rituals." She took the card from her Deck and slid it into the Graveyard.

"Now, I activate the Spell Card, Altar of Mists," she played the card and a strange altar of dark brown stone appeared behind her, swathed in mist. "This card stays on the field until my second Standby Phase after I activate it, at which point its effect will activate. For now, I'll end my turn."

_**Kagi 4000LP/Nodoka 4000LP **_

"I draw," Nodoka spoke, taking a sixth card. "I set one monster face-down and end my turn." The monster quickly flashed into existence, and with that, the young woman's turn was over.

_**Kagi 4000LP/Nodoka 4000LP**_

Kagi drew silently. _"Strange... just a face-down monster. It's probably a searcher of some kind..."_

"I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands," she said, playing a card. In a flash of quicksilver radiance, a strange monster formed, a humanoid form of silver flesh with dozens upon dozens of hands bursting from the body, crimson eyes glaring balefully from a twisted face (1400/1000). "And because I just Normal Summoned Manju, I can add any Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." Ritual of Grace slipped from her Deck and she placed it in her hand, the Deck shuffling.

"Manju, attack her reversed monster!" The silver spirit tore forwards as Nodoka's monster was revealed, a slender young woman clad in a ragged brown cloak over a dark green halter, miniskirt and knee-high leather boots. A brown cowboy hat was perched atop her blonde hair, the Warrior Lady of the Wasteland holding her sword defensively (1100/1200), before a punch from a dozen of Manju's arms shattered her into pixels.

"I activate my Warrior Lady's effect, Special Summoning an Earth Warrior-Type with fifteen-hundred or less attack points from my Deck," Nodoka said. "Enter the fray, Masked Knight LV3!" There was a brilliant burst of golden light which dimmed and faded, revealing a short, stocky child-like warrior clad in ornate silver, gold-trimmed armor, with golden wings adorning his right shoulder plate and silver angelic wings reaching from behind his back. Drawing his sword, the Masked Knight LV3 stared down Kagi's monsters with crimson eyes from beneath a golden cross-shaped crest (1500/800).

"_Damn," _Kagi thought as Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands retreated to her side. "I end my turn."

_**Kagi 4000LP/Nodoka 4000LP**_

"I draw," Nodoka said with a slight smile. "And in my Standby Phase, I activate the effect of Masked Knight LV3, sending it to the Graveyard," the knight burst into burning golden radiance, "to Special Summon Masked Knight LV5!" The silhouette of her Masked Knight grew taller and slender, before the light burst, revealing a taller and thinner knight clad in more ornate armor set with fiery amber gems. The newly evolved Masked Knight LV5 drew the sword from his back, holding it at the ready to strike (2300/1300).

"Now," she continued, "I summon Zubaba Knight." She played the card and in a flash of light, a golden-armored warrior appeared, his crimson cape flapping in a sudden breeze as he drew twin serrated cutlasses and brandished them threateningly (1600/900). "Zubaba Knight, cut down her Manju." The golden-armored knight tore across the field and with crossing slashes from his cutlasses, Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands shattered into pixels.

(_Kagi 3800LP_)

"Masked Knight LV5, attack Armageddon Knight." As Zubaba Knight retreated, Masked Knight LV5 charged and with a sweep of his blade, Armageddon Knight was cut down and burst into pixels.

(_Kagi 2900LP_)

Kagi winced slightly at the loss of her monsters, but otherwise remained stoic.

"Turn end," Nodoka said with a soft smile.

_**Kagi 2900LP/Nodoka 4000LP**_

"Draw," Kagi muttered. "In my Standby Phase, my Altar of Mists activates, sending itself to the Graveyard," the altar behind her dissolved into shimmering motes, "and letting me add any Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell from my Deck to my hand." She took Divine Grace – Northwemko as it slipped from her Deck, which immediately shuffled.

"Next, I activate the Field Spell Card, Ritual Sanctuary." Light shone around them, forming into a brilliant white marble church. The two stood before the rows of pews, beside the altar.

"What does this do?" Nodoka wondered.

"You'll see," Kagi answered. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card, Ritual of Grace!" The Spell appeared before her , shining with light as divine power began to radiate from above, blinding white light consuming the church's ceiling. "With this Ritual Spell, I offer as sacrifices the Djinn Presider of Rituals from my hand," a large, obese green-skinned fiend appeared before her, clad in purple gold-trimmed armor and wielding a rapier and shield, "and the Djinn Releaser of Rituals from my Graveyard by banishing it as per its effect." Another obese fiend appeared, this one female and wielding a glowing staff, and then both monsters soared up as Kagi pocketed one card and slipped the other into her Graveyard. There was a brilliant flash as the monsters impacted with the divine power overhead, and Kagi began to chant.

"_The light of salvation shines down from above and announces the arrival of our savior. Light, punish the wicked with judgment and protect the faithful! Ritual Summon! Descend... Divine Grace – Northwemko!" _

Swathed in divine light, the goddess descended, landing gracefully before her master with a radiant smile (2700/1200).

"I activate Northwemko's effect," the young woman continued. "When she's Ritual Summoned, I select a number of face-up cards on the field up to the number of cards I used for the Ritual Summon. I choose to select my Ritual Sanctuary." A thread of light shone from the goddess' staff and connected to the church's altar. "Now, Northwemko, attack Masked Knight LV5! _Light of Atonement_!" Glorious divine power exploded from the staff and crossed the field in an instant, striking the knight and blasting him to pixels before striking Nodoka, who gasped in pain as the goddess' power seared her form.

(_Nodoka 3600LP_)

"Djinn Presider of Rituals' effect activates," Kagi said as the glorious radiance faded. "When the Ritual Monster he was sacrificed to summon destroys a monster in battle, I draw a card." She drew once. "Turn end."

_**Kagi 2900LP/Nodoka 3600LP**_

"Draw!" Nodoka said, wincing slightly. "I activate the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army, adding Exiled Force from my Deck to my hand!" A card slipped from her Deck and into her hand, before she quickly played it. "I summon Exiled Force!" A very ragtag bunch of mercenaries formed before her, wielding an assortment of crude weapons and clad in clearly poor improvised armor (1000/1000). "And I use their effect, Releasing them to destroy one monster in play!" The mercenaries bellowed a battle cry as one and rushed across the field towards Northwemko, who simply raised her staff, smiling sadly.

An instant before the first sword made contact, light flashed. The Exiled Force was blasted to nothingness in a second by the radiance, and Northwemko lowered her staff again, a tear running down her cheek as an aghast Nodoka stared. "What...?"

"Sorry, Taneka-san, I should have warned you in advance," Kagi said quietly. "While any of the cards I selected for Northwemko's effect are face-up in play, she cannot be destroyed by card effects."

Nodoka considered her options for a silent second, before turning Zubaba Knight's card on her Disk. "I switch my Zubaba Knight to defense mode." The knight sheathed his cutlasses, and crouched down in a defensive stance (1600/900). "Then I play two cards face-down, and end my turn." Two reversed cards appeared behind her knight.

_**Kagi 2900LP/Nodoka 3600LP**_

"Draw," Kagi spoke, looking over her hand. She was currently holding five cards, Burial from a Different Dimension, Duality, Fairy Meteor Crush, Ritual Cage and the just-drawn Djinn Disserere of Rituals.

"I equip Northwemko with Fairy Meteor Crush," she said. "Which allows her to deal Piercing Damage." A fiery crimson aura began to blaze around the goddess, whose expression subtly changed from sorrow to a dangerous wrath. "And I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Ritual Cage." Bars of light formed, creating an intricate tracery of radiance around the goddess on her field.

"Now, Northwemko, attack Zubaba Knight. _Light of Atonement_!" The Divine Grace raised her staff and blinding light tore across the field, impacting onto Zubaba Knight with a brilliant flash.

(_Nodoka 1700LP_)

However, when the light faded, Zubaba Knight was still intact.

"When you attacked, I activated a Trap Card, Invincible Hero," Nodoka explained. "With this, my monster isn't destroyed by battle this turn."

"Turn end," Kagi concluded. "Your move, Taneka-san."

"In your End Phase, I activate Call of the Haunted, reviving my Masked Knight LV5!" Nodoka declared, only to have her Trap lift and nothing happen.

"Due to the effect of Djinn Releaser of Rituals, while the summoned Ritual Monster is in play, my opponent cannot Special Summon."

"Damn!"

_**Kagi 2900LP/Nodoka 1700LP**_

"Draw!" Nodoka continued, snapping the word out harshly, before smirking slightly. "I activate The Warrior Returning Alive! With this Spell, I add one Warrior-Type from my Graveyard to my hand!" She took Masked Knight LV5 from her Graveyard.

"Now, I Release Zubaba Knight," the crouching warrior dissolved into motes of light, "to Advance Summon Masked Knight LV5!" The motes coalesced, and from them emerged the noble warrior, drawing his sword (2300/1300). "And I activate my Knight's effect, forfeiting his attack this turn to inflict one-thousand damage to you! _Persona Twin Blast_!" The knight's helmet crest began to glow fiercely, before firing a cross-shaped blast which struck Kagi, making her cry out in pain.

(_Kagi 1900LP_)

"I end with a face-down," Nodoka finished, playing the reversed card.

_**Kagi 1900LP/Nodoka 1700LP**_

"Draw," Kagi murmured. She considered, though with the Field Spell in play, Northwemko still couldn't be destroyed by card effects, there were Traps with other ways to remove monsters...

"I activate the effect of Ritual of Grace in my Graveyard," she decided. "By banishing it, a Ritual Monster of my choice becomes immune to targeting effects this turn." She pocketed the card, and a sheen of bright light surrounded Northwemko. "Divine Grace – Northwemko, attack Masked Knight LV5... _Light of Atonement_!" The goddess unleashed radiant glory from her staff once more...

"Reverse card... _open_!" Nodoka countered. "Rush Recklessly boosts my monster by seven hundred attack points!" Kagi's eyes widened as Masked Knight LV5 burned with power (3000/1300) and tore through the attack, ripping it apart before a blow of his sword struck Northwemko, shattering the goddess of salvation into pixels.

"Due to Ritual Cage, I take no Battle Damage when a Ritual Monster battles," she said morosely. "And I set one monster to end my turn." She placed her Djinn Disserere of Rituals onto the Disk face-down.

_**Kagi 1900LP/Nodoka 1700LP**_

"I draw," Nodoka smiled. "In my Standby Phase. Masked Knight LV5's effect activates. I send him to the Graveyard," the knight became consumed in blazing power, "to summon... _Masked Knight LV7_!" The light burst, and the mightiest knight yet emerged, his armor fine and ornate, his form muscular and tall. With a cry, he drew a large sword from its sheath, wielding it in one hand as crimson eyes burned and glared at Kagi (2900/1800).

"Masked Knight LV7, attack her monster! _Persona Big Slash_!" The knight rushed forwards and with a sweep of his blade, Kagi's monster burst into shards. "I activate my Knight's effect, letting me deal you fifteen-hundred damage! _Persona Big Blast_!" A cross-shaped blast of fiery light exploded from the knight's crest and struck Kagi, who cried out in pain.

(_Kagi 400LP_)

"I set two cards," the young woman said, smiling, she had nearly won. "And end my turn." The reversed cards appeared.

_**Kagi 400LP/Nodoka 1700LP**_

"Draw..." Kagi winced, before smiling as she saw the card. "You're done... Taneka-san. I activate the Spell Card, Preparation of Rites." A Spell appeared. "With this, I add one Level Seven or lower Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand." She took a card from her Deck. "Then, I could add a Ritual Spell from my Graveyard to my hand, but unfortunately I don't have one."

"Then how do you plan to Ritual Summon?"

"Didn't you wonder what my Field Spell did?" she asked. "Ritual Sanctuary allows either player to discard a Spell," she placed Duality into her Graveyard, "to add one Ritual Spell from their Deck or Graveyard to their hand. I choose the Ritual of Destruction." A Spell slipped from her Deck. "I activate Burial from a Different Dimension, letting me return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard." She placed Djinn Releaser of Rituals back into the Graveyard.

"Finally... I activate, Ritual of Destruction!" This time, a portal ripped open underfoot, a pitch-dark maelstrom of screaming night. "I banish Djinn Disserere of Rituals," a stout purple-skinned fiend in rich purple and gold armor, holding a hexagonal shield adorned by a skull appeared, "as well as Djinn Presider of Rituals and Djinn Releaser of Rituals," the rapier-wielding armored Djinn, and the stout female clutching the staff appeared, and all three sank into the depths of the darkness. Kagi gazed silently across the field, before quietly chanting.

"_When salvation is ignored, destruction shall awaken and the world shall perish. There is no hell, only the darkness, and the king who presides upon the throne of ruin! Ritual Summon! Bring death, Garlandolf, King of Destruction!"_

The darkness erupted into a screaming vortex, and then exploded, ashes drifting down as a demonic form rose. Garlandolf was clad in rich dark blue armor adorned with blood-red spikes, chains and golden rings. His skull-like face was crowned by a pair of dark horns and a mane of midnight-black hair, crimson eyes gazing from above a mouth filled with jagged fangs. With a mighty, earth-shaking roar, the King of Destruction raised clawed hands and clenched his fists, before unclenching them, the shadows blazing around him (2500/1400).

"Trap Card, open!" Nodoka shouted. "Compulsory Evacuation Device returns your monster to your hand!" A strange device appeared around Garlandolf and began to shake...

Then it simply exploded and the King of Destruction stalked from its shattered remains, a growl of pure fury ripping through the air.

"Because Garlandolf was Ritual Summoned using Disserere, he is immune to Traps entirely," Kagi explained darkly. "And now, his effect activates. _Drowned by Darkness_!" Roaring, the king raised his hand and the shadows tore across the field as a hundred clawed hands, tearing through Masked Knight LV7 like a screaming gale and ripping him apart, before soaking back into Garlandolf.

"What?"

"When Garlandolf is Ritual Summoned, all face-up monsters with defense scores lower than his attack points are destroyed," Kagi explained. "And he then gains one-hundred points for each." Darkness burned around her monster (2600/1400). "Garlandolf, direct attack on the player! _Belial Edge_!" The monster stalked forwards, surrounded by a hellish, fiery aura and struck in a dark blur, his claws slashing out of the air and striking Nodoka, knocking her down and ending the Duel in one motion.

"Guilty," Kagi whispered, too softly to be heard.

_**Kagi 400LP/Nodoka 0LP**_

The cards all faded away, leaving only the two young women. Nodoka stood, and there was silence for a moment...

Then she laughed. "You're one hell of a player, Kagi-san."

"Thank you," Kagi replied, placing her cards back into the Deck. "That was a fun Duel."

"Those names for Garlandolf's effect and attack... they remind me of something," Nodoka mused. "What was it?" She clicked her fingers three times, trying to recall. "Some game I played once..."

"If you'll excuse me, Taneka-san, I have some friends I want to meet up with now," her opponent said, turning to walk away.

"Kagi-san." Kagi glanced back. "I think you're going to do well at the Academia."

She nodded softly, and continued to walk...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The four stood together at the front of a large crowd, gazing at the island on the horizon.

"There it is... Academia Island," Migi smiled. "Our school... our home... our destiny."

"That's right," Shimo smiled, punching the air. "We're nearly there!"

"Stop stating the obvious, Shimo-san," Himawari muttered.

"But it's true, Higure-san! Academia Island! Where Kaiser Ryo, Fubuking... where all of them learned how to be great! That's the place right in front of us!" He threw his arms out towards the island. "And that's where we're gonna learn! I'm so psyched I can't keep it all in... oh man, this is awesome!"

"Oh, let him enjoy himself, Higure-san," Migi smiled, seeing Himawari shoot a glare at Shimo. "I can understand his excitement."

"What about you, Kagi-san?" Himawari asked. "How do you feel?" Kagi looked up, she had been looking at a card in her hand.

"I'm happy too," she said, with a hesitant smile. "Shimo-kun's right... it feels good to get to this island." Himawari noticed the card, Divine Grace – Northwemko.

"Your trump card? Why are you looking at her now?"

"Because this is a special moment," Kagi explained. "And Northwemko is my ace card, the one closest to my heart. I feel like... it's hard to explain, but I feel I should share a moment like this, arriving at the place where my Deck and I are going to be fighting together, with that card."

Himawari nodded.

"She's right," Shimo said. "Let's all share this with our aces, huh, Higure-san, Tadashi-san?"

"I agree," Migi said, withdrawing his Deck from his Disk and fanning it, before plucking out one card and holding it, staring at the image. _"Father... you gave me this card... and I'm going to prove my worth with it. I swear." _

Shimo took a card from his Extra Deck. _"You're the card who sparked this Deck off... you and me are partners. And together, we're gonna show them all what heroes can do. Right?" _

Kagi stared back down at Northwemko. _"A goddess of salvation... you're like a mother to me... I guess. You remind me of mother..." _She gave a slight, sad smile. _"Let's do our best here, Northwemko." _

Finally, Himawari gave a reluctant nod and took the Susanoo-no-Mikoto card from her Extra Deck. _"Duel Academia Central... the place I've aspired to for so long... and here I am, nearly at that dream. And it's thanks to you... you won me that Duel. All of you. Kami... the descendants of kami..." _She looked back up at the island. _"You're with me, as my sword. Let's prove our worth to our foes..." _

And the ship sailed onwards, the island rising higher and higher, coming into greater focus with every passing minute...

M-I-R-R-O-R

_Card Stats:_

_Monsters:_

Iofiel

LIGHT/ Fairy/Effect /Level 4/ATK: 1000/DEF: 800

When you Summon this card, you can have it gain 1000 ATK by sending 1 Level 1 Fairy-Type monster from your Deck to the Graveyard.

(Iofiel was first used by Reggie Mackenzie in the GX manga chapter 'Mac's Past'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the manga.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Masked Knight LV3

EARTH/ Warrior/Effect /Level 3/ATK: 1500/DEF: 800

During your Standby Phase, you can send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Masked Knight LV5" from your hand or Deck. Once per turn, you can inflict 400 damage to your opponent. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.

03

Masked Knight LV5

EARTH/ Warrior/Effect /Level 5/ATK: 2300/DEF: 1300

During your Standby Phase, you can send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Masked Knight LV7" from your hand or Deck. Once per turn, you can inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.

03

Masked Knight LV7

EARTH/ Warrior/Effect /Level 7/ATK: 2900/DEF: 1800

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Masked Knight LV5". Once per turn, you can inflict 1500 damage to your opponent.

(The Masked Knights were used by Jill de Lancebeaux in the 5D's episode 'Return of the Witch, The Dragon of Destruction 'Black Rose Dragon''. Creative credit for them goes to the writers of 5D's.)

_Spells:_

Flute of Hammelin

Normal Spell Card

Image: A large humanoid rat in a blue cape playing a flute at night, under a crescent moon.

Select 1 monster in your Graveyard that was sent to the Graveyard this turn. Both players must send all cards from their hands and Decks with the same name as it to the Graveyard.

(Flute of Hammelin was first used by Princess Rose in the GX anime episode 'Yellow Spring Frog! Icky Frog! Death Frog!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Tri-Wight Zone

Normal Spell Card

Image: Three Skull Servants rising from their graves in the middle of a cemetery at night.

Target 3 Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters in your Graveyard; Special Summon those targets.

(Tri-Wight Zone was released in the OCG set, Photon Shockwave.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Altar of Mists

Normal Spell Card

Image: A large altar atop a buried pyramid in the desert, surrounded by a sandy mist.

After activation, this card remains on the field. This face-up card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During your 2nd Standby Phase after activation, send this card to the Graveyard and add 1 Ritual Monster Card or Ritual Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.

(Altar of Mists was first used by The Big Five in the second series anime episode 'Target: Jonouchi – The Teamwork Play to Victory'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the second series anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Ritual Sanctuary

Field Spell Card

Image: A married couple in white standing within a spotlight in a void of pink, with confetti falling around them.

A player can discard 1 Spell Card to add 1 Ritual Spell Card from their Deck or Graveyard to their hand.

(Ritual Sanctuary was first used by Asuka in the GX episode 'Asuka vs. Manjoume! Cyber Angel Fortune Goddess.' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

_Traps:_

Invincible Hero

Normal Trap Card

Image: A superhero standing among several unconscious attackers in the streets of Skyscraper at night, and laughing.

Select 1 monster you control. It cannot be destroyed by battle, until the End Phase.

(Invincible Hero was first used by Judai in the GX episode 'H-E-R-O Flash!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Next time, the Academia opens! And the students are there! As Shimo, Kagi, Migi and Himawari are placed into their dorms and the first day begins, a student with a strange Deck challenges Shimo in a Duel which becomes a collision of opposite forces. As Dark and Light face off in a clash of skill against power, who will stand victorious?

To find out, it's Chapter Four – Guidance of Light and Dark!


	4. Chapter 4: Guidance of Light and Dark

_**Chapter Four – Guidance of Light and Dark**_

"_There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand another."_

_Nyx Avatar, Persona 3_

The ship had docked at the Academia's small port, which really consisted of a concrete expanse with a few warehouses dotted around, and a long pathway extending out to a lighthouse at the harbor entrance.

The large cluster of new Academia students had gathered at the edge of the concrete, before a path which led to the bridge connecting the small harbor island to the island proper. Glancing out over the channel of water between the two, towering cliffs were visible to the students, topped by an impenetrable-looking mass of trees.

Senshi stood on the bridge, gazing out across the mass of students with a glimmer of pride in his eye, before raising his megaphone. _"Alright, all of you, please follow me!" _He turned and began to walk across the bridge, the crowd surging after him like a living wave...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Some time later, the students had ascended up the cliffs, and now stood staring in wonder at the Academia building proper. A pathway lined with stone obelisks led up to the colossal building, four obelisks rising proud from the corners of the Academia, while a dome rose up at the center, reaching into the sky overhead. The proud building stood resplendent in the sunlight, reflecting the hopes and drams of the ones looking up at it.

"Let's move," Senshi declared after a short while, evidently letting them savor the moment. "We need to get you all into the auditorium." The crowd began to move again, following the teacher...

M-I-R-R-O-R

About a quarter of an hour later, the mass crowd of new students were seated in a colossal auditorium, looking up at a stage at the front of the semi-circular room. Lights shone down from above, illuminating the whole room.

Himawari, Shimo, Kagi and Migi were sat somewhere around the center of the crowd, gazing up to the stage.

"So, who do you think's going to make a big speech?" Shimo wondered. "Principal? Vice-principal?" He paused. "Who are the principal and vice-principal anyway?"

"The principal is Sumika Atsuko, the vice-principal is Arisawa Hari," Kagi recited, clearly from memory. "I meet them at parties for the school faculty my father hosts now and then."

"The principal usually makes the start-of-term speech," Migi commented. "From what I know, anyway." He paused. "I wonder which dorms we'll be in."

"I expect you'll be Obelisk Blue, Tadashi-san," Kagi said. "Your skillful play in the entrance exams clearly places you at that level." He chuckled.

"Honestly, I don't place myself so high. Besides, Oheina-sensei was unfortunate."

"If you mean he was an arrogant git," Shimo cut in, "you're right and he deserved the beatdown you gave him." Himawari shot her friend a glare. "It's true, Higure-san."

"Perhaps so, but as a teacher, he should have our respect."

"The way I see it," Migi challenged. "Respect is earned by your character, not your position, your wealth or any other factor. People who want respect should earn it." He paused again. "Oheina-sensei, despite his position of authority over us students, did not earn that respect."

"You'd have beaten him the same either way," Kagi stated.

"Perhaps my Deck was offended by his arrogance, and wanted to... knock him down a peg," the young man offered. "Cards have spirits, and some of those spirits don't take kindly to characters of that sort."

"You don't believe in that 'Duel Spirit' nonsense, do you?" Himawari said, glancing at him. "There's no proof at all that cards have sentient spirits attached to them." Migi closed his eyes and gave a very slight smile.

"Some things, Higure-san, science is unable to prove. One might recall the D1GP in Neo Domino City, and the strange events there. Or perhaps Battle City, where the Egyptian God Cards the dorms at this school are named after certainly acted... mysteriously," his smile widened slightly. "I am more than willing to take the word of scientists when their word is substantiated, but when it comes to matters scientists cannot really investigate, I prefer to take the authority of experts in such fields into account more."

"By 'experts', you mean a few Pro League duelists, many of whom are known for eccentricity," the young woman replied. "Yuki Judai, Edo Phoenix..."

"I've _met _Edo Phoenix," Shimo cut in. "He sure didn't seem all that eccentric to me then. More like... stoic. Like you actually, Higure-san."

Himawari opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as the lights dimmed slightly and a figure walked onto the stage ahead. It was a man, very plain and nondescript, dressed in a white suit. The atypical bureaucratic figure, Himawari observed. Clearly a principal chosen for his efficiency and ability to manage a large workload than any particular charisma or ingenuity.

"Greetings, new students of Duel Academia Central," the principal spoke. "I am Principal Arisawa, and I am the man who will be watching over you all for the rest of this school year." He paused, evidently for 'dramatics'. "Duel Academia Central is a proud institution, steeped in history and in tradition. Since the days of students such as Yuki Judai, Tenjouin Fubuki and Marufuji Ryo, the staff have attempted to maintain the traditions which led those great students to become the Pro League idols they are today. I hope you all will aid us in the maintaining of those traditions." He made another 'dramatic' pause. "There are several sweeping rules which will apply to all students regardless of dorm, year or skill. The building known as 'the Abandoned Dorm' is completely and utterly off-limits, due to issues regarding the structure of the building which it is felt make it unsafe to venture inside. Boys are not allowed within the female dormitories, and vice-versa," either he didn't notice the soft groans which resounded at this comment, or didn't care, "and the forests of the island are not to ventured into off of the beaten path. Students have gotten lost after attempting to explore the forest for... 'kicks', and much time has been spent attempting to track down such foolhardy wanderers. I would hate to have to stir the Academia security in order to send them combing the trees for more... explorers."

"I'm sure you would," Shimo muttered.

"Upon entry," Arisawa continued. "Each of you were presented with a device known as a Duel Pilot. It serves the role of a PDA, providing functions for the organization of your time, and for communication with other students and with staff. It also links to a database on the Academia's server, allowing you to research the effects and rulings of any card you might be unfamiliar with. While the Duel Pilot does allow access to the internet," soft cheers drowned him out and he waited for them to stop, "I will warn you that any content found to be unsavory or inappropriate is automatically blocked by the Academia's filters." Groans drowned him out this time. "Social networking sites are... considered inappropriate and unnecessary." More groans. "But email services are not blocked for the purposes of allowing contact with family and friends off of the island." Most of the students perked up at this.

"I don't see why you're annoyed, Shimo-kun," Kagi said, looking at Shimo, who was clearly somewhere between cheering and groaning. "It's the same sort of rules for internet usage most schools impose for students on-site."

"It's annoying, though," he muttered back. "How much stuff do these filters block anyway?"

She shrugged as Arisawa continued. "If each of you will register your identities onto the Duel Pilot, we can continue." Everyone immediately withdrew their Duel Pilots from the pockets they had stored them in and began to quickly follow the instructions displayed on-screen, until all the Pilots chimed roughly around the same time, a few slightly ahead or behind the others. "Good," the principal spoke. "Now that has been done, each of you should automatically receive," a chorus of chimes drowned out his words for an instant, "email from the system declaring your allotted dorm and room number."

Himawari opened the email she had just received on the pilot and read it aloud quietly. "Higure Himawari, welcome to Duel Academia Central. We are pleased to inform you that you have achieved entry into the Ra Yellow dorm due to your very good results on both practical and written exams. Your room is Number 061 in the Ra Yellow Female Dormitory."

Beside her, Migi just smiled at his email.

"Where are you?" she asked, glancing over and reading the screen. _Tadashi Migi, welcome to Duel Academia Central. We are pleased to inform you that you have achieved entry into the Obelisk Blue dorm due to your exceptional skill and knowledge, as shown by your entrance exams. Your room is Number 054 in the Obelisk Blue Male Dormitory." _"Obelisk Blue?"

"Apparently so," the young man smiled. "Kagi-san, Shimo-san, how about you?"

"Ra Yellow," Kagi murmured in a curious way. It were as though she had expected this result. Shimo on the other hand looked... offended.

"Osiris Red?" he said, clearly annoyed. "I'm in Osiris Red?"

"Yuki Judai was in Osiris Red," Kagi commented, almost playfully, suddenly she seemed to have jumped from dullness to a strange joviality. Migi noted the startling change, and his lips pursued thoughtfully. "I don't see why you should be so annoyed to be treading in his footsteps, Shimo-kun."

"I'm not! I just thought I'd be in Ra Yellow, like you and Higure-san! That's all!" She chuckled.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. We both know how good you are, Shimo-kun. Higure-san and Tadashi-san know too, right?" She looked at them, and Migi smiled.

"She's right," he said, nodding. "You're a good duelist, Shimo-san. From what I recall, wasn't Yuki Judai like that? A duelist beyond compare, but his written grades failed to reflect that fact, and so..." he shrugged, "he goes down in history as an Osiris Red student. There's no shame in that."

"Says the Obelisk Blue," Shimo replied, but his eyes sparkled with mirth. "You're treading the footsteps of Kaiser and Fubuking, Tadashi-san. I hope your shoes are big enough."

Migi laughed. "Oh, I'm not sure they are yet. I'll have to make my feet bigger before I can really fit those footsteps." His eyes flickered down to his arm, and the Duel Disk on it, within which was his Deck. He knew what the bottom card was, and for a second he yearned to look at it. No. Not here. He wouldn't reveal his trump card yet. "How about you, Higure-san? How does it feel to be Ra Yellow?"

She had that strange disappointment about her again, he noted. That strange disappointment he had seen before when she had seemed... _denied _of an absolute victory by the survival of her opponent's Seven Swords Warrior. As though while she had achieved a victory, it was not the total obliteration of the opposition she had craved.

How he wondered what made her crave absolute triumph...

"Fine, I suppose," Himawari replied. "It was what I expected, after all." It was in her eyes, behind the words, the disappointment, the shame at the loss of perfect victory. Though her words tried to throw off suspicion, one could look into the depths of her eyes and see her true feelings there. "How do you feel, Kagi-san?"

The other girl jumped, as though startled. "Oh... fine. It's good to get into Ra Yellow."

The room fell silent as Principal Arisawa cleared his throat suddenly, the sound cutting through the noise, amplified by the speaker system. "I believe I have mentioned all you need to know. A total summary of the Academia rules is saved onto your Duel Pilots, and the same summary can be located in poster form around the Academia campus. So for now, you are dismissed. Go to your rooms, your Academia uniforms and Duel Disks will be ready for you there." With that, the man walked off of the stage, leaving the students to stand up and file out of the room...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The Ra Yellow dorms stood slightly apart near the edge of a cliff, separated by a barrier of trees. Both buildings were fairly pleasant two-story affairs, comfortable but not extravagant. Both were painted plain white with golden yellow trim, evoking the Egyptian God after which they were named, The Winged God Dragon of Ra, and indeed each dorm's door was flanked by two statues of the majestic God Card.

Pausing at the entrance to the female dorm, Himawari took in the legendary creature's grand form. The statue was golden in hue, painted identically to the real thing with piercing crimson eyes and a sapphire gem adorning its forehead. The dragon's face flowed smoothly into an avian beak, and angelic wings spread out behind its back, not obstructing the entrance, but rather meeting its counterpart's wing to arch over the doorway. Ra's piercing eyes were placed in such a way as to coldly regard the students entering, as if challenging their worth to enter its dorm. Glancing down, Himawari took in the inscription upon the pedestal the statue was mounted on: _'Spirits sing of a powerful creature that rules over all that is mystic'_.

She reached out a hand, only to stop inches from actually touching the statue. It were as though this _was _the God Card incarnate, its eyes glaring upon her, its divine power radiating like heat from its golden form. Slowly retracting her hand, Himawari turned and walked onward into the dorm, following Kagi, who had gone ahead.

The two walked through the dorm's corridors until finally they came to two opposite rooms, 60 and 61.

"Here we are," Kagi noted, stopping at the door to Room 60 and taking the key she had been handed on the way into the dorm. She slid it into the door, twisting it in the lock and opening the room which she would call home for the year. And she stepped inside.

Room 60 was fairly pleasant, as she had expected. A golden yellow bedspread adorned the bed, the walls were plain white, and a desk was placed by the window, complete with chair. A chest of drawers was placed beside the bed, presumably for her spare clothes, and folded neatly on top of this was the Ra Yellow uniform. She walked over to examine it, stepping around her suitcase, which had presumably been moved up the moment her room was decided.

The uniform consisted of a golden yellow jacket with a white band running around the shoulders, ending at a button around the front of the neck to hold the jacket closed, another band circled the waist. A white shield-like crest decorated the jacket around the collarbone, and two more bands were wrapped around the wrists. Putting this aside, Kagi examined the second piece of the uniform, a plain gray knee-length skirt. It seemed plain and ordinary enough. Beside the uniform, she noted, was the Academia-pattern Duel Disk she would be using, plain silver, sleek in design, with golden yellow trim to denote her dorm.

She removed her jacket and pulled on the golden yellow one, fastening it closed before moving to the desk and leaning on it, opening the window. A butterfly fluttered past, and into the room, plain white with pale blue markings on its wings. Alighting on the desk the insect crawled across it for several moments, before fluttering away once more, out of the window and into the sky. Kagi watched it depart in silence, glancing down at her Deck in her Duel Disk. The Chaos Ritual Deck, the one which best served her. But there were others... she turned to the suitcase and opened it, revealing five distinct Deck cases within. Each was marked with a different symbol, a breaking wave, a sun and moon (this was empty, the case for her Chaos Ritual Deck), a pane of shattered glass, a pair of black wings, and finally (she regarded this one quite silently and coldly) a card with a sword stabbed through it.

She gently touched a hand to each box in turn, except the last. That she left, even as she turned and closed the door in order to get changed...

M-I-R-R-O-R

In the room opposite, Himawari was already dressed in her uniform, and was just finishing it by sliding her new Duel Disk onto her arm. The sleek, compact form of the Disk was barely of any restriction to her, she noted, it was extraordinarily lightweight. She slid her Spirit Deck into the slot, finishing her change of attire completely.

Sitting down on the bed, Himawari regarded herself. Neatly dressed, she supposed, smart and ready for the trials and tribulations of Central Duel Academia. Good. That was the image she wanted to present... even if that image had always been accompanied by royal blue rather than golden yellow. Still... she would have to try her hardest, and advance to Obelisk Blue with sweat and tears, if that was her destined path.

She fanned a set of cards in her hand. Four white, four black. Four Synchro Monsters, four Exceeds. The Synchros were clear as Ninigi-no-Mikoto and Susanoo-no-Mikoto, along with two others, while one of the Exceeds was clearly Kin-ki, but the others were new. After a moment of gazing at the cards, she placed them into her Disk's Extra Deck slot. With the cards in her Deck, she would fight hard against all of her opponents to achieve her dreams...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm remained as always, perched beside the lake. A mansion-like building, white and blue in color, it radiated luxury and comfort. At the opening, twin statues of The Giant God Soldier of Obelisk flanked the door, as statues of Ra had at its respective dorm. Migi stood before one of these statues, regarding it calmly.

"Kaiba Seto... naming the top dorm after an Egyptian God with power less than that of the middle dorm," he smiled, amused. "It seems like a fallacy to do that." The towering form of the statue didn't agree or disagree, it simply stood, blue and demonic, majestic wings stretching behind it, mighty fists clenched. The sight brought to mind Battle City and the videos of that legendary tournament Migi had seen. The sight of the three Egyptian Gods unleashed.

He bent down to read the inscription upon the statue's pedestal: _'The descent of this mighty creature shall be heralded by burning winds and twisted lands. And with the coming of this horror, those who draw breath shall know the true meaning of eternal slumber.' _

"How melodramatic," he muttered, smiling slightly more as he straightened and walked into the elegant dorm. Inside, a shining white staircase rose up to the second floor, new students in their regular clothes clear, even as older students in blue and white, or white and blue in the case of third years, observed from the upper floor. And stood at the top of the staircase, resplendent, clearly in charge, was an imposing man, clearly at the verge of escaping puberty. The elegant white, blue-trimmed coat he wore marked him as more than a third-year, he was clearly a cut above even the most experienced of his peers. Migi's smile faltered upon meeting the young man's dark eyes. In response, the coat-wearer's lips twitched. The smile was too good. It was plastic, artificial.

"What're you staring at the Kaiser for?" Migi twisted, startled, and stared into the face of a puzzled-looking second year.

"No reason," he replied, regaining his composure now those dark eyes weren't paralyzing him. "He's the Kaiser?"

"Yes," the student replied. "Hayaki Kou, third-year Obelisk Blue student. Kaiser of Central Duel Academia."

"Is that so," Migi murmured rhetorically, glancing back at Hayaki. The Kaiser stared back, and behind those eyes, Migi saw the flickers of dark wings. Behind the mask he glimpsed something else, before Hayaki looked away, apparently regarding another group of new students. "What's he like?"

The second-year shrugged. "Keeps himself to himself. He's a Kaiser, they're all stoic. All the stories about Marufuji Ryo say he was." He paused. "Kind enough I suppose. Charming, the girls like him... lucky bastard."

"Interesting," Migi said under his breath. "I need to go find my room. It was good to talk to you." With that, he walked on to the desk where room keys were being handed out. With a flash of his Duel Pilot's identification which apparently registered with... something on the school system, his identity was confirmed and the key was his, marked with the room number, 054. Bottom floor, he noted with disappointment. He'd wanted a closer look at Hayaki.

Regardless he walked away, but before he faded from the Kaiser's sight, he looked up at the staircase and met Hayaki's gaze full on. The young man's eyes were cold and plastic, artificial, a veil built by the years of practice. Migi could tell. What lay behind that veil, though... he could not. All he caught from brief slips of the Kaiser's mask were the flaring of the dark wings and a cold, burning moonlight. Nothing more. He looked away with a brief shudder, and vanished into the corridors and the crowd.

And Hayaki stared down upon the newcomers still, with a charming mask, stoic but not intimidating. And he wondered, what had the young man seen behind that mask?

M-I-R-R-O-R

Migi's room was as comfortable and excessive as he had expected. A bed covered with royal blue, the bedspread and sheets looking resplendent and perfectly comfortable. The desk and chair by the window. A chest of drawers, the room wallpapered in blue, with a white ceiling. There was an en-suite shower and toilet too. He shook his head ever-so-slightly at the excess. Only slightly. The dark wings and the moonlight still haunted him.

He sat down on the bed, closing the door as he moved to do so. He pondered. Himawari, her touch filling his head with collisions of contradictions, whose obsession seemed to be with absolute victory and yet who showed no signs of anything... more. Shimo, her friend... apparently, ordinary, joyful, light-hearted. Yet sometimes behind Shimo's smile... Migi wondered if he saw a lingering darkness on the young man's heart. Kagi, dark, mysterious. Something wasn't right with her, he could see the secrets and the mysteries she veiled behind silence and stoicness.

And now Hayaki, the dark Kaiser hiding behind a mask of stoicness and charm. The dark wings flaring, the moonlight blazing. There was something more to Hayaki too. Migi sighed. All these deeper mysteries. All these repressed sides. Everyone hid things, and he perceived the way they hid behind masks... but these people had so much behind their masks. Did this island draw in the troubled and the masked? He could only wonder...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The crimson form of the Egyptian God twisted and coiled, majestic. Twin mouths adorned its face, the bottom hanging open to reveal sword-like fangs, the top closed but still revealing the fangs within. Golden eyes glared from above the mouths, gazing down upon the students as though shaming them. The form of The Sky Dragon of Osiris was resplendent beside the door to the Osiris Red dorm, but Shimo, gazing upon the statue, felt a slight anger.

He breathed. Keep control, he told himself. Smile. Always smile. He bent down, reading the statue's inscription: _'The heavens twist and thunder roars, signaling the coming of this ancient creature, and the dawn of true power.' _He straightened, smiling. "Honestly. It's only a statue." He gave a good-natured laugh, nodding up at Osiris' head, before walking into the dorm. The Osiris Red dorm was a plain two-story building, looking comfortable, but not to the extent of Ra Yellow or Obelisk Blue.

Oddly, there was no desk handing out room keys, so with a shrug he just walked down the corridor within, stopping outside Room 014, which was marked with two names, his own, and another: Itou Mitsuru. Wonderful. He had a roommate. Still... it was part of being an Osiris Red. He'd live with it. Keep smiling. Just smile.

He rested his hand on the door, and gently knocked.

"Yes?" The voice came from within, clearly belonging to another young man.

"I'm your new roommate," Shimo replied. "Shimo Hikaru. Can I come in?" A sigh from inside.

"Yes, come in." Shimo opened the door, and stepped into the room. It was small, he noted first. The bunk bed against one wall and the desk before the window beside it nearly spanned the room in total, and together the bed and the chest of drawers beside it nearly filled the room lengthways. On the desk, he noticed, were a few personal articles, what looked like a diary, a book of some sort lying next to it, and what he guessed was his roommate's Deck lying face-down.

The person in question cleared their throat, and Shimo turned, seeing a young man lying on the top bunk. His hair was messy and a muddy brown shade, all tangled and mussed by the wind, his eyes a deep green hue. He was already dressed in his uniform, the red, white-trimmed Osiris Red jacket and gray pants, his feet sheathed in white socks. With a somewhat timid stare, the young man regarded Shimo, clearly wary about his roommate, who smiled.

"I'm Itou Mitsuru," the uniform-clad young man finally said, eyes sliding down Shimo's body, taking in the Hawaiian shirt, the shorts, and then the sandals. "Um... could you... take off the sandals please?"

"The sandals? Sure," Shimo said, kicking them off and placing them beside Mitsuru's own shoes, a neat, if worn-looking pair of white sneakers. "It's good to meet you, Itou-san." He held out a hand, and somewhat shyly, Mitsuru took it in a somewhat trembling manner. Shimo smiled reassuringly, giving his new roommate a loose handshake. "Don't be worried, I'm sure we're going to get along just fine!" He looked back to the desk, and noted the Deck. Looking at the revealed card back more closely, he realized it wasn't a Deck of Duel Monsters cards. "What cards are those, Itou-san?"

These?" Mitsuru replied softly, sitting up and glancing down at the Deck. "Oh, they're from another card game I play... a new one, but I quite like it." He reached down and plucked the Deck up, holding it and smiling at the top card. "It's quite different to Duel Monsters."

"What's it called?" Shimo asked.

"Vanguard," his roommate said. "And it's got to be the most awesome card game yet... well, besides Duel Monsters I guess. Maybe." Suddenly he seemed ecstatic, not timid in the slightest now he was talking about this other game. "But it's really cool, in Vanguard you have Clans and they're all really different with what they do, you have Kagero, who take out the opposing Rear Guards, you have Oracle Think Tank, who draw cards and do checks on the top of the Deck, Grand Blue who mill and revive from the Drop Zone..."

"Drop Zone?"

"It's like the Graveyard," Mitsuru continued, barely drawing breath to the point his words were starting to flow together, "Dark Irregulars Soul Charge like mad and hit like trucks... crap on defense though... Spike Brothers retreat to the Deck and call out new Units from it..." He finally stopped, gasping for breath.

"Wow, Itou-san, calm down," Shimo said. "I get you like the game, but it's not worth running out of air for, right?" He held out a hand. "Can I see that Deck?" Mitsuru nodded, holding it out. Shimo took the cards and looked at the one on top. It depicted a majestic-looking form, a fiery-crimson dragon with wings of flame, golden eyes and a bone horn atop its skull. The creature was depicted in a dynamic pose, wielding a blade which appeared to be forged of bone as it stood proud, tail coiling behind it. "Dragonic Overlord," the young man read. "Grade Three, Twin Drive ability. Dragon Empire, Kagero, Flame Dragon. Eleven-thousand Power, Shield... blank?"

"It has no Shield," Mitsuru explained. "There's a scale of Shield value, Grade Zero Units have ten-thousand Shield, except Draw Triggers which have five-thousand, Grades One and Two have five-thousand Shield, Grade Threes have no Shield, as do the Grade One Omni-Guardian Units."

"My head's spinning, Itou-san," Shimo laughed, continuing to read Dragonic Overlord's card. "Passive... V slash R?"

"Vanguard or Rear Guard, that ability works regardless of whether Overlord's the Vanguard or a Rear Guard."

"Head spinning more..." his roommate muttered, just handing the Deck back to Mitsuru. "You'll have to teach me this sometime, Itou-san."

Mitsuru smiled, placing the Vanguard Deck back on his Deck. "I could try and get some more Vanguard cards from somewhere for you, if you'd like, Shimo-san."

"That'd be great," Shimo smiled. "That Dragonic Overlord looks really neat."

"I know!" Mitsuru exclaimed. "It's a powerhouse of a Kagero, honestly! And its Counterblast... oh, god, that Counterblast is awesome! There's nothing I like more than drawing and saying 'Final Turn', and just tearing down my opponent's front line with that Counterblast before winning! It's brilliant! Even if the guys who say it in the anime can be real jerks sometimes..."

Shimo cocked his head to the side. "There's an anime of this game?"

"Yeah! I'll see if I can get some videos up sometime for you, Shimo-san! Watch that and you'll learn how to play the game in no time! And the characters are really awesome and you can just really connect to them!" Shimo chuckled.

"It makes me wonder, Itou-san," he commented. "If you like this 'Vanguard' so much, why're you in the Academia for Duel Monsters?"

"I guess I just like card games in general," Mitsuru shrugged. "And right now, Duel Monsters is the one I can really make a name for myself in. I want to be like Muto Yugi and Yuki Judai. I want to go from being nothing to being well-known, I guess."

"We all want that," Shimo smiled. "I have a friend in Ra Yellow right now who wants to be dueling Queen of the World, or something big and important like that. But I like your dream, Itou-san. We're at the bottom, but we can aim high too. I say go at it with everything you've got." He laughed good-naturedly. "In fact, I want to see this spirit of yours in action. Why don't you show me what you've got in a Duel?"

Mitsuru's expression became neutral, as though he wanted to commit to the idea, but was unsure. "I don't know, Shimo-san..."

"You can't go through Duel Academia without dueling, Itou-san," Shimo said. "But don't worry. I'm not one of those people who finds it fun to crush their opponent in one move. After all, where's the good in that? No, I want to see my opponent's burning fighting spirit!" He spread his arms wide, fingertips brushing the wall. "I want my opponents to give me everything they're got!"

Mitsuru's expression slowly became a smile. "Get your jacket on, Shimo-san. The teachers won't like seeing you outside without it. And you'd better use your new Disk." He slid out of bed, jumping to the floor and landing softly. It was now Shimo noticed the compact Academia Disk on his arm, silver trimmed in burning red. Smiling Mitsuru walked out of the door. "Meet me outside, then, Shimo-san." With that, he was gone and Shimo's smile widened. The young man snatched up the Osiris Red jacket from the chest of drawers and pulled it on over his shirt, leaving it unbuttoned as he slid the new Academia Disk onto his arm, the device identical to Mitsuru's own. Finally, he slid his Deck into place in the Disk, and moved to pursue his roommate, pulling the door closed behind him...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The breeze blew strongly, and Shimo's jacket fluttered slightly. He and Mitsuru stood opposite each other on the grass outside the Osiris Red dorm. The statues of the Egyptian God seemed to be watching them from afar, scrutinizing the students. Other Osiris Red dorm members watched, some flopped down and catching the sun on the grass as best they could. Some girls had wandered over from the female Osiris dorm, intrigued.

"I'm not going easy on you, Shimo-san," Mitsuru smiled. "We may be roommates, and I may be planning to teach you Vanguard... but duelists don't hold back!"

"There's no way I'd rather have it," Shimo laughed, the Disks activating. "Show me your full power!" They drew five cards. The crowd's breaths seemed to catch. Everything became still. The moment stretched out and out, awaiting the fated word and the dawn of the duel...

"Duel!" the two declared as one.

_**Shimo 4000LP/Mitsuru 4000LP**_

"Since you challenged me, Shimo-san," Mitsuru said, drawing, "I'll go first." He glanced across his hand quickly, taking it in, before playing a card. "I activate the Spell Card, D-Mind." The Spell appeared, depicting a lone figure standing as a dragon and a squad of warriors faced him down. "D-Mind can only be activated if I don't have any Destiny Heroes in play, and lets me Special Summon a Level Three or lower Destiny Hero from my Deck. Come on out! Destiny Hero Diehardguy!" A card shot from his Deck, which immediately shuffled itself, and the young man played it.

Particles of shadow melded before him and took physical form, creating a mostly-naked man clad only in a loincloth and black greaves, with a wild mane of fiery orange hair. Attached to his arms were two large black shell-like shields, but Diehardguy remained resolutely standing rather than falling into a defensive position (800/800).

"Uh..." Shimo asked. "Does that Spell force you to summon in attack mode?"

"No," Mitsuru replied, placing D-Mind into his Graveyard. "I chose to put Diehardguy like that. And to join him... come on out! Destiny Hero Dunkguy!" Particles of shadow coalesced again, this time into the form of a dark-skinned figure in dark armor, with green warpaint running across his visible flesh and coating his face. His black hair was a tangled, mop-like mess of dreadlocks, and Dunkguy shifted from side-to-side as though unable to stay still (1200/1700). "I use Dunkguy's effect! By discarding a Destiny Hero from my hand," he slid Destiny Hero Dashguy into his Graveyard, "he can deal you five-hundred points of damage!"

"What?" Shimo exclaimed as Dunkguy formed a sphere of darkness between his hands and hurled it like a basketball, the sphere striking Shimo and knocking him back with a groan of pain.

(_Shimo 3500LP_)

Light cheers came from the crowd at Mitsuru's move, making the young man blush slightly as he slipped a card into his Disk. "I'll set a face-down card, and it's over to you, Shimo-san." The reverse card took form from more particles of shadow.

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 4000LP**_

"Good move, Itou-san," Shimo commented as he drew. "But letting me go second," he smiled, "there was a mistake there, my friend. I like going second! I can let my power loose that much faster!" He played a card. "I activate... Herculean Power!" In a flash of flame the Continuous Spell formed. "And I use its effect. If you have a monster and I don't," he played a card, "I can Special Summon a Level Four or lower Gemini monster from my hand! Let's go, Evocator Chevalier!"

In a second explosion of fire, the burning warrior burst into life, cape flapping wildly as he drew his scimitar (1900/900). "And to join him, I call out... Justice Bringer!" In a flash of radiant light, a second monster appeared, dressed in regal armor under pale blue robes, golden wings adorning his helmet as he raised a mighty blade in hand (1700/1000).

"Two monsters in one turn, huh?" Mitsuru mused.

"You left your Diehardguy out for a reason," Shimo noted. "If I have to spring the trap to find out why," he chuckled, "so be it! Chevalier, attack Destiny Hero Diehardguy!" The crimson-armored knight ripped across the field, drawing back his sword...

"I open... D-Shield!" Mitsuru cried. The Trap lifted, and rocks tore from the ground before Diehardguy, forming a barrier in front of him as the man knelt, crossing his arms and defending himself with the shell-shields on his arms (800/800). "D-Shield equips to a Destiny Hero monster, changing it to defense mode and making it indestructible in battle." As he spoke, Chevalier's blade rebounded from the rock barrier, Diehardguy glaring hard at the knight, who retreated silently.

"Well then," his opponent mused. "I'll settle for evening things out. Justice Bringer! Take out Dunkguy!" With a nod, the regally-clad warrior strode forwards and cut Dunkguy down with a sweep of his blade, sending an arc of light crashing into Mitsuru as the Destiny Hero burst into shadows.

(_Mitsuru 3500LP_)

"Turn end," Shimo concluded.

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 3500LP**_

"Draw," Mitsuru said, and smiled. "I activate Destiny Hero Dashguy's effect from the Graveyard!"

"What?" Shimo exclaimed.

"With this effect, if I happen to draw a monster in my Draw Phase," his opponent said, "by revealing it, I can Special Summon it." He flashed Shimo the card, before playing it. "Come on out! Destiny Hero Devilguy!" The particles of shadow collected, and took physical form. A thin and emaciated man clad in sleek black armor over black leather appeared, arms ending in large, clawed gauntlets, a tattered blood-red cloak flapping about his form. Pale white skin shone on his bald head as his crimson eyes glared, Devilguy giving a cold hiss (600/800).

"Now," he continued, "in my Standby Phase, I'll use the effect of my Diehardguy. If a Destiny Hero was destroyed by battle while Diehardguy was on the field, I can revive that Destiny Hero now!"

"No, you don't," Shimo replied quietly. "I counter with Justice Bringer's effect! Once per turn, I can negate the activation of your Special Summoned monster's effect!" The regal warrior raised his sword, and an aura of golden light coated Diehardguy, making him wince.

"I have to get rid of Justice Bringer..." Mitsuru muttered. "I activate Devilguy's effect! _Destiny Lord_!" Devilguy moved. He flowed across the field like a fluid shadow and struck. His claw touched to Justice Bringer's chest, and the warrior burst into... nothingness. He was gone, just like that. With a hiss, Devilguy withdrew.

"What the...?" Shimo exclaimed.

"Devilguy's effect lets me send one of your monsters two turns into the future if he's in attack mode," his opponent explained. "However, I'm not allowed to attack this turn since I used that effect." He scanned his hand and played a card. "Since I have no monsters to summon, I'll set a card and end my turn." The reversed card appeared from shadow.

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 3500LP**_

"Draw!" Shimo cried. "I activate the Spell Card, E – Emergency Call!" An emerald E formed before him, shining radiantly. "With this, I can add one Elemental Hero from my Deck to my hand. So... I'll go with Elemental Hero Neos Alius!" He took the card from his Deck, which shuffled.

"Now... I summon Elemental Hero Neos Alius!" In a flash of cosmic power, the hero formed, clenching his fists (1900/1300). "Neos Alius! Attack Devilguy!" With a heroic cry, Neos Alius ripped forwards and shattered the dark hero with a mighty blow of his fist.

_(Mitsuru 2200LP)_

"Trap Card, open!" Mitsuru declared. "Hero Signal!" The spotlight burst into the sky, marked by the black H.

"_Hero _Signal?" a crowd member said, surprised.

"Since you seem to run some Elemental Heroes, Shimo-san, I'm sure you know what this does," Mitsuru said. "Come on out!" He took a card from his Deck, which shuffled. "Elemental Hero Stratos!" In a screaming whirlwind, the monster descended from above as the spotlight faded. Clad in a blue and gray bodysuit, Stratos hovered, held aloft by metallic wings containing a pair of screaming turbines. Light flashed and bounced across the Elemental Hero's visor as he regarded Shimo, clenching his fists (1800/300). "I activate Stratos' effect, adding a Hero monster from my Deck to my hand!" He took a card from his Deck, and slipped it into his hand as the Deck shuffled.

"Chevalier, destroy Stratos!" Evocator Chevalier charged, and with a slash of his blade, cut Stratos down.

(_Mitsuru 2100LP_)

"Turn end."

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 2100LP**_

"Draw, and Diehardguy's effect activates! Come on out! Destiny Hero Devilguy!" The shielded D-Hero raised a hand and a whirling black gear formed, cracking apart and exploding into shadows, which reformed into the visage of Destiny Hero Devilguy (600/800).

"I activate Devilguy's effect! _Destiny Lord_!" Devilguy flowed across the field and struck, banishing Neos Alius from the present. "Now, I'll set one monster." A reversed monster appeared beside Devilguy and Diehardguy. "I end my turn."

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 2100LP**_

"Draw," Shimo smiled. "You did what I wanted, Itou-san." Mitsuru's eyes widened as Shimo revealed the Spell Card. "I activate... Parallel World Fusion!" The Spell appeared, shining. "I return Neos Alius and Justice Bringer from the banished zone to the Deck," he placed the two cards onto his Deck, which shuffled, "and Fusion Summon _Elemental Hero Gaia_!"

Illusory images of the Fusion Materials appeared and swirled into one. With a roar, a jet-black, armor-clad colossus crashed to the field, with immense gauntlets, Gaia hulking as it took a step forwards. Red gems shone across its form as its crimson eyes glared balefully across the field at Mitsuru... (2200/2600)

"I activate Gaia's effect," Shimo continued. "When he's Fusion Summoned, I halve the points score of one of your monsters, like Devilguy," A crimson aura surrounded Destiny Hero Devilguy (300/800), "and then Gaia gains points equal to the amount your monster lost!" The same crimson aura blazed up around Gaia, but much more vibrantly and passionately (2500/2600). "Sorry to end this on such an anticlimax, Itou-san. But that's the way things went. Elemental Hero Gaia! Attack his Devilguy with _Continental Hammer_!" Gaia hammered a fist into the ground and spikes of rock erupted up, shooting up from the ground until finally smashing into Devilguy and shattering him in an explosion of pixels...

(_Mitsuru 700LP_)

"What?"

"When you attacked, I used the effect of Destiny Hero Daggerguy in my hand," Mitsuru explained. "By discarding it, all face-up Destiny Heroes I have in play get eight-hundred more attack points for the turn. So I'm not out of the game yet, Shimo-san."

Shimo chuckled. "Wouldn't have it any other way! Hm... Chevalier, take out his face-down!" Evocator Chevalier ripped across the field, and swung his blade in a savage arc. A heroic figure in a gray and blue bodysuit adorned with CDs on his arms like shields and behind his back like wings appeared (300/300), only to be promptly cut down and shattered by the heroic knight.

"I end my turn there, so Gaia loses his points boost," Shimo declared, his monster's aura fading away (2200/2600).

_**Shimo 3500LP/Mitsuru 700LP**_

"Draw," Mitsuru called, with a distinct smile. "In my Standby Phase, I'll use my Diehardguy's effect! Come on out! Destiny Hero Diskguy!" The spinning black gear formed and exploded, the shadows coalescing into the CD-adorned warrior (300/300). "And if Diskguy is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can draw two cards!" He promptly made two draws, and smiled.

"I summon Destiny Hero Departedguy!" From the shadows, a grim figure formed, a man in a gray tuxedo wielding a cane tipped by a golden skull. Dreadlocks of purple hair crowned his skull, while stained, dirty bandages coated all his visible skin, some of the bandages unraveling to blow eerily in the breeze (1000/0).

"Next, I activate D-Burst, destroying the D-Shield equipped to my Diehardguy to draw a card," the rocky barricade shattered apart as he drew once.

"But... that leaves Diehardguy defenseless," Shimo pointed out.

"That's why it's time for Diehardguy, Diskguy and Departedguy to exit stage left," Mitsuru said, the three heroes becoming shadows and swirling together into a pillar of utter darkness. "Shimo-san, let me introduce my trump card! Come on out! _Destiny Hero Dogmaguy_!"

The pillar fractured into shards as immense black wings erupted outwards. Dogmaguy descended, a towering, imposing warrior clad entirely in spiked, barbed black, gold-trimmed armor. Crimson eyes glared balefully from his helmet across the field, and with distinct expectant hisses, twin swords unsheathed themselves from his gauntlets, gleaming in the sunlight (3400/2400).

"Thirty-four... hundred...?" Shimo gasped softly as the crowd around cheered at such a powerful monster.

"That's right," Mitsuru smiled. "Dogmaguy! Attack Elemental Hero Gaia! _Death Chronicle_!" Silently Dogmaguy raced forwards like the shadow of Death itself. His blades struck in flashes of silver, and Elemental Hero Gaia was cleaved in twain, shattering even as Shimo cried out, feeling the blows on his form.

(_Shimo 2300LP_)

"Now I'll use the effect of D-Burst in my Graveyard, by banishing it and cutting Dogmaguy's attack score by one-thousand, Dogmaguy gets a second attack!" He pocketed the card and a bloody crimson aura surrounded Dogmaguy (2400/2400). "Attack Evocator Chevalier! _Death Chronicle_!" Like shadow Dogmaguy struck, cutting down Evocator Chevalier and striking Shimo in the space of a second. The knight exploded into burning pixels.

_(Shimo 1800LP)_

"I'll finish my turn there, Shimo-san," the young man concluded. "You wanted my all... my full power? Here it is." He smiled. "I hope your power isn't all burned out so fast."

_**Shimo 1800LP/Mitsuru 700LP**_

"Draw," Shimo said, doing so.

"Dogmaguy's effect triggers – _Life Absolute_!" Shimo cried out as he felt the slashes of the dark hero's blades ripping across his form, though Dogmaguy barely seemed to move at all.

_(Shimo 900LP)_

"What the...?" he began.

"During the Standby Phase after I summon Dogmaguy, he halves my opponent's Life Points," Mitsuru explained.

Shimo looked at his hand. "Let's see if I can finish this, Itou-san," he mused. "I activate my second copy of E – Emergency Call, and I'm bringing Neos Alius to my hand." He took the Elemental Hero Gemini from his Deck, and promptly played it. "I use Herculean Power to Special Summon Neos Alius!" The Continuous Spell flashed with blazing golden fire, which formed into the white-clad visage of Elemental Hero Neos Alius (1900/1300), "and then I'll Gemini Summon Neos Alius, meaning from now on, he's treated as the original Elemental Hero Neos." The white aura of Gemini power surrounded the hero.

"You're still five-hundred points short of beating my Dogmaguy, Shimo-san," Mitsuru said good-naturedly.

"Let me compensate for that, with my Neos Force Equip Spell!" Shimo answered, playing the Spell Card. "This card can only be equipped to Elemental Hero Neos, and boosts the equipped monster by eight-hundred attack points!" A glow of intense blue power surrounded Neos Alius (2700/1300).

Mitsuru's eyes instantly widened. _"He can beat Dogmaguy!"_

"Neos Alius! Attack Destiny Hero Dogmaguy! _Neos Force_!" Shimo declared. "I'm sorry, Itou-san, but this is what going all-out means!" Neos Alius rocketed across the field and struck with an almighty punch, shattering Dogmaguy with that single blow.

(_Mitsuru 400LP_)

"That's game, I'm afraid, Itou-san," the young man said. "Neos Force's effect! When the equipped monster destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack score!" A burst of radiant electric-blue ripped from Neos Alius' fist and slammed into Mitsuru, sending him skidding back before he tumbled to the floor.

_**Shimo 900LP/Mitsuru 0LP**_

Cheers and applause erupted upon the final blow, applauding Shimo for his victory, but also, he felt, Mitsuru for fighting so well against his opponent.

"Great game, Itou-san," he said, smiling as his opponent stood. "That Destiny Hero Deck of yours is pretty neat." Mitsuru smiled in return.

"Your Deck is neat too, Shimo-san," the young man replied. "I'm going to enjoy being your roommate." Shimo chuckled.

"I look forward to it too. Now, why don't you try and teach me about this 'Vanguard' game of yours?"

"With pleasure!" Mitsuru exclaimed as the two began to walk back towards the Osiris Red Male Dorm...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The dusk hung thick, darkness all that was visible beyond the Obelisk dorm's windows. Sat at great tables in an expansive hall, the first-year young men of the Obelisk Blue dorm gazed at the feast laid out before them in awe and wonder. The older students did not marvel, their gazes turned towards the man sat at the end of the hall, who then stood.

"I am Ikutski Ryoji, head of the Obelisk Blue Male Dorm, and professor of Economics here at Duel Academia. You young men are the future of the Pro Dueling Leagues. As that role falls on your shoulders, it gives you great power. But there is a saying, with great power comes great responsibility. I expect you all to accept that responsibility and act accordingly. Be courteous and respectful to your peers and the Academia staff alike. Do not scorn those of Ra Yellow or Osiris Red just for being in a lower position academically," Migi caught at least three eye-rolls at this statement, "rather mentor them and guide them toward greatness. All at this institution have the potential to become great men and women, true champions of Duel Monsters. All I ask is you strive together toward that goal. Help one another, and grow strong from those bonds." He sat down again. "You may begin." And with that, his students began to tuck in, some exchanging comments about the speech, all, Migi noted, in the negative. Evidently the infamous snobbery and elitism of the Obelisk Blue dorm still burned strongly, regardless of the official position.

He sighed slightly. He could tell that fitting in with those who chose to step on others was not going to be enjoyable. So he wouldn't bother, he determined. And as he ate, his eyes were hard with this resolve...

M-I-R-R-O-R

By contrast, the Osiris dorm was spartan. Bare wooden tables sat in the room, the students sat at them enjoying what could only be described as the basics, plates of sushi and whatever else it seemed the dorm's head had gotten hold of at short notice with little resources...

Speaking of the dorm head, their apparent seat was empty, and mutterings filled the room about this.

"I heard the Osiris dorm head was this totally hot woman... like literally, drop dead gorgeous! Sister of some Pro League dude or something..."

"I heard the Osiris dorm head was some wacky alchemist guy who acts like a cat!"

"I heard the Osiris dorm head _was _a cat!" As if on cue, a snow-white tomcat leapt up on the dorm head's table and curled up, scrutinizing the students with icy blue eyes. The pale orbs closed, and the cat seemed to sleep. Soft purrs echoed from where it rested.

The students exchanged nervous glances, and the last speaker's voice was heard again. "I thought it was just a rumor! I didn't think the head actually _was _a cat!"

"Think that cat actually is the dorm head?" Mitsuru asked Shimo, before chewing on a morsel of sushi. The young man shrugged.

"One way to find out," he said, standing up. He walked up to the desk, and bent down until he was on eye level with the cat. Its eye slid open, regarding him. "Hey, kitty. Are you our dorm head?" The purring intensified slightly, and he smiled. "Guess you are." He reached out one hand...

_Rrrrowl! _The cat slashed, its claws laying open the back of Shimo's hand, and he cried out in pain, leaping back and staring at the animal. His face for an instant became one of anger and pain. And it seemed to the other students that as he shook and his breath hissed, an audible cracking filled the room. As though the table were... no. It was gone. Shimo took a deep breath, and he smiled. "Angry little thing, aren't you?"

"OH my god!" The words were exclaimed in English, was the speaker a native? No accent marked their speech. They appeared, a weedy, willowy sort of man, pale and quite clearly panicked. He wore a somewhat crumpled, stained white shirt and torn, somewhat ragged jeans, stubble marring his cheeks. He was clearly a foreigner, British or American, Shimo observed. "I'm so sorry!" the man cried, still in English, before the blank looks seemed to register, and he repeated, this time in Japanese, "I'm so sorry! Bruno's my cat... he's a bit high-strung, I'm afraid. Do you need a bandage?" Shimo looked at the small scratches on his hand.

"I don't think I'm dying, so I can forgive your cat," he deadpanned, smiling. "Who are you? The dorm head?"

"Yes, yes," the man said. "William... oh wait, surname first. Andrews William, dorm head of Osiris Red, as of, last month." Shimo looked somewhat bemused by the man's somewhat clumsy attempts to obey the guidance of Japanese etiquette.

"You're the dorm head, Andrews-san?" he asked. "Excuse my rudeness, but... you don't seem very in-tune with the local culture."

"That's because I'm literally still trying to learn," William muttered, before realizing who he was talking to, apparently. "But I'll have you know, young man, that I am a Pro League duelist! Scourge of the Camelot League in Great Britain! Proud member of the Order of Pendragon!"

"What's that?"

"Uh... nothing. Just a title," William quickly replied. "Regardless, the principal has seen fit to ask me here to be the Osiris Red Male Dorm's head, and come hell or high water, that's what I'll do!" On the last part, he lapsed back into English, and noticed from the bemusement on Shimo's face.

"I don't think we really know English, Andrews-san," the student observed. "So if I may..."

"No!" William exclaimed. "I apologize! I will keep my language as Japanese while I talk to you!" He waved frantically, and Shimo sighed softly. "Now, please, back to your seat. I want to address you all now." Shimo walked back and sat down. Under his breath he muttered something about mad principals and incompetent foreigners.

"I am, like it or not, your dorm head," William declared. "As a Pro Duelist, this isn't what I expected. Once I left the Leagues and... the Order, I wanted a teaching job. I wanted to teach at an Academia, and so I wound up here... somehow. But I swear to you all, I will do my best. Regardless of the cultural boundaries dividing us, I will help you. I'm going to be the best dorm head I can be, for all of you! Now, I've heard it said that Osiris Red students are little more than dropouts. But I was brought up and told, if someone puts you down, you stand up and fly all the higher. So if you're told you're a dropout, that you're worthless, that you shouldn't be here," he punched the air and cheered, "by hell, I want you to fight back! To show them all what the Osiris Red dorm is truly made of! Do you hear me, Osiris Red?"

And their cheers answered him, the Englishman smiling. He stroked his cat. "We can do this, right, Bruno?" And the cat purred, and he smiled. He took a card from his pocket, a white-rimmed Synchro Monster. _"Let's all do this... with me, Caradoc?" _And though it couldn't possibly, he couldn't help but feel that the monster depicted nodded to him.

Shimo cocked his head to the side. He had heard something. A noise which none of those around him, the strange new dorm head or the cat had made. What was it? He didn't even know the noise. A soft hissing sound... as though a sword had been drawn from its scabbard...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The Ra Yellow girls sat together at tables and discussed things. White tablecloths were spread over the tables, the room was brightly lit, and they were enjoying themselves. The food was nice, the atmosphere was comfortable. All seemed well.

Himawari took a bite of... something. Some kind of fish, she guessed. It tasted nice. She chewed it slowly, listening to Kagi talking to another Ra Yellow girl she had apparently befriended. She had heard Shimo had made friends with his roommate following a Duel earlier. Her friends seemed to be making new friends.

Whereas she sat, and ate silently. Shimo, Kagi... good friends. Trialed and tested, and still not fully trusted. Migi... intriguing. He was strange, he seemed to have this keen insight. Yet, she felt he did not understand her, and so they stayed close, wary, intrigued. Neither willing to just turn away for fear of losing precious knowledge... or from fear of leaving themselves open to attack. But he sat at the table of the nobles, she reflected. If she was the middle of the ladder, he stood at the top rung. He feasted beside the apex predators, the top of the food chain in this place.

She smirked. He was a lion, then, an eagle. A monster of a predator, yet beautiful in his predatory ways. And she knew even the most savagely beautiful predator could be brought low. Her thoughts wove a challenge. A resolve. He was a hunter now, and she was the doe he sought to kill, just as Shimo and the Osiris Reds were the grass upon which she grazed. That was the Academia's food chain, Osiris Red the helpless producers, Ra Yellow the consumers, and Obelisk Blue at the top, the predators.

She wanted to understand Migi, she supposed. And to do so, she would have to turn from hunted to hunter...

M-I-R-R-O-R

_Card Stats:_

_Spells;_

D-Mind

Normal Spell Card

Image: Destiny Hero Daggerguy standing resolute against the approach of Goblin Elite Attack Force and a massive pitch-black dragon.

Activate only if you control no "Destiny Hero" monsters. Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Destiny Hero" monster from your Deck.

(D-Mind was used by Edo in the GX episode 'Summon the Ultimate Forbidden God, Exodius!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

D-Burst

Normal Spell Card

Image: Destiny Hero Dogmaguy hurling a punch, his fist swathed in an orb of dark power.

Target 1 equipped Equip Card you control; destroy the target then draw 1 card. During your Battle Phase: You can banish this card from your Graveyard to target 1 face-up "Destiny Hero" monster you control that has attacked this turn; it loses 1000 ATK, and can attack once again during this Battle Phase.

(D-Burst was used by Edo in the GX episode 'Ed, the Finishing Blow! 'Bloo-D'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

The scorn Obelisk Blue has for Osiris Red is infamous. The Osiris Reds are dubbed 'dropouts' and deemed worthy of nothing but to be kicked aside by their Obelisk Blue 'superiors'. Discrimination against those wearing a red jacket is almost considered a tradition of those 'great' enough to be enrolled into the highest of dorms. But some... some are kinder. Some say 'no'. Tadashi Migi is one such person. And when he finds a group of Obelisks who believe in this 'tradition', and act upon it, he refuses to stand by and watch.

What will happen? It's Chapter Five – Isolated Protector!


	5. Chapter 5: Isolated Protector

_**Chapter 5 – Isolated Protector**_

"_Not alone."_

_Eomer, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Film)_

The moon shone down. Crescent-shaped and shining, it hung there in the sky, watching over the earth silently, like a great guardian. The pale light it cast down blanketed the world, comforting, yet cold.

Upon a clifftop on the great volcano which loomed over the Academia island, a lone figure stood. Their white garments seemed to shine in the pale silver of the moonlight, and blurred into their equally-pale flesh. Their lips parted, a soft breath on the night. Gazing down toward the light among the dark created by the six Academia dorms and the main building itself, the solitary watcher sighed. They gazed upwards now, towards the moon. Their words whispered into the night, softly, so quietly they might not have been there.

"_The full moon in the sky at zenith's height, burning red above on this starless night..." _They paused, and gazed back down. _"Not yet. But soon... all too soon." _They turned, and then they were gone, embraced by the dark arms of the night...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Those eyes gazed down, dark yet tainted by traces of light. Like the moon behind a dark cloud, or an eclipse. The face above hers was pale, yet... she knew it. She hadn't seen it before, but somehow she felt familiar with every aspect of it. Except those eyes. Those dark eyes with the light just twinkling from the edges...

The young woman's lips parted, and she spoke, but the words were inaudible. There was nothing. No sound. Just the face, and the embrace, and the darkness all around. And then, everything was gone...

Himawari gasped awake. Traces of sunlight danced across her face, and the wall to her right. Taking slow deep breaths, she sat up, hands resting on the covers as she gazed down at them.

What were these dreams, she wondered. They couldn't be ordinary... not with the same girl in all of them. But what were they? Premonitions? Could she be seeing the future? Or were they just what they seemed... dreams? They couldn't be true, could they?

She glanced to the desk beside the window. Her new Academia Duel Disk lay on it, and beside this was her Deck in its case. She slid out of bed and stood up, dressed in plain white pajamas, and stepped across the room, rubbing her eyes. Slowly, she picked up the Deck case and opened it, withdrawing the cards from inside and staring at the top card, a white-framed Synchro Monster, depicting a beautiful woman with pale skin and raven-black hair stood before a burning golden, fiery orb, the Sword of Kusanagi laid on the ground at her feet while in hand she held a mirror and a crystal orb. The woman gazed out from the picture into Himawari's eyes, her own a burning golden shade.

The young woman looked away from the card, to the digital clock on the desk. She read the display in silence: _5:37_. No real chance to get more sleep. Besides, she doubted she'd fall back into the embrace of dreams again. Not at the moment.

She placed the Deck back, and sat down on the chair before the desk. Gazing out of the window, she took in the brilliant sky out over the sea. It certainly was a majestic view, one which made her happy to have a room gazing out that way. The sunlight sparkled off of the crests of the waves, shining gloriously. She smiled ever-so-slightly. Beautiful.

She watched the sun shining on the waves for some time, before finally getting out of the chair and retrieving her folded uniform from where it lay on the chest of drawers, ready to get dressed...

M-I-R-R-O-R

In the room opposite, Kagi's sleep wasn't peaceful either. She lay awake, gazing up at the ceiling in the murky half-light.

She didn't even know why she had woken up. The room was empty, but for her. She had scanned it about ten times since she had suddenly jolted awake.

"_Greetings, Kagi Gisei." _

She glanced to the side instantly, taking in the figure, who was swathed in white. Nothing of their skin could be seen, no skin, no hair, no eyes. Just the white. What was it? Cloak? Dress? She could barely work out what her eyes were seeing... what was this?

"Who... are you...?" she choked out. She felt bile in her throat. What was this... thing before her?

There was white. For but one second, it was all there was. And then... nothing. Just the room. Her blood pounding in her ears, the bile in her throat burning, choking her voice, as her heartbeat and her deep, panicked breaths resounded. But... nothing. A vision? A hallucination?

Very shaken, and trembling, she sat up. A flicker of white, her breath caught. Where was it? Frantically her eyes leapt about the room before her. Nothing again. She shuddered...

"_Are you afraid?"_

And she fell, terrified as the being seemed to appear from thin air. How was it doing this? She crashed to the ground with a cry, seeing... white. Just the white on the air. Like a void... a nothingness in the air. It bent down towards her, and she gave a choked gasp of fear. As it approached, the feeling of bile in her throat intensified. Her heartbeat grew louder and louder in her ears.

"_Are you afraid?"_ it repeated.

"Y... yes..." she choked out. Did it smile? Frown? There was only that terrible whiteness. And then it pulled back. Was it regarding her? Was it gazing aside? She couldn't tell...

Gone. The room seemed to suddenly flow back into place, and the white... void was gone. Heartbeat pounding, Kagi rose, glancing around nervously. The whiteness didn't reappear. But her breaths took a long while to slow, and the bile to leave her throat. And even after that, she looked down at her hand and saw it trembling. What was that thing? What had it wanted... and why had it left...?

Still trembling ever-so-slightly, the young woman crossed the room to the window. She shuddered. It was still firmly closed. The panes were intact. No-one could have gotten in that way. She turned, and knew before she saw it. The door was still firmly closed, and the bolt was across, locking it shut. No-one could have gotten in that way either.

Suddenly feeling quite scared indeed, she went back to the bed and sat down. No-one could have gotten in or out of the room. So how... and what was that thing? That thing which just with proximity had made her feel sick? Which she hadn't even been able to see properly? What the hell was it?

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Now, all of you." The speaker was a woman, one Migi hadn't encountered yet, but judging by her blue coat, she was head of the Obelisk Blue Female Dorm. "I am Matou Ayako, teacher of Mythological Studies here at the Academia. Mythology is interwoven strongly into Duel Monsters. Archetypes such as the Incas, Earthbound Gods, Nordic, Aesir and others have obvious ties into mythologies worldwide, but you may not know that Archetypes like Dragunity and Ice Barrier also have mythological naming themes." She smiled, clearly at ease. Pressing a discreetly palmed remote, a slideshow behind her moved to the next slide, depicting a Duel Monsters card. Migi read it. Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Water-Attribute, Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. Level Seven, twenty-five-hundred attack points, seventeen-hundred defense points.

"This card is named for an aspect of mythology," Matou commented. "Does anyone know which mythology, and what the name refers to in that mythology?" Smiling, Migi raised his hand. "Yes? What is your name?"

"Tadashi Migi, Matou-sensei," he replied.

"And what is the answer, Tadashi-san?"

"Gungnir was the legendary spear of the god Odin in Norse Mythology," Migi explained. "It was said that by throwing the Gungnir, Odin could start wars among mortal men, and that the spear would pierce its target no matter what lay between it, and that target."

Matou nodded. "Very good, Tadashi-san. Indeed." She clicked the control again. "How about this card? Does anyone know this one?" The slideshow moved on, depicting another card. Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg. Wind-Attribute, Dragon-Type Synchro. Level Six, two-thousand attack, eleven-hundred defense.

Migi's hand shot up, but so did another, and Matou turned to the other. "Yes?"

"I'm Nakata Kirei," the other young man said. He, like Migi, wore an Obelisk Blue jacket. "And the name, Gae Bulg, comes from Celtic Mythology. It was the spear wielded by the hero, Cú Chulainn."

"Correct, Nakata-san," Matou said. "Now, how about this one? And maybe a non-Obelisk Blue student can answer this time." She moved the slideshow forwards again, this time it depicted a lower-level, non-Synchro monster. Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant, Dark-Attribute, Level Four, Fairy-Type. Twelve-hundred attack points, four-hundred defense points. "Who can answer? How about you?" She turned her gaze to a shy-looking Osiris Red student, a boy with shaggy brown hair, who trembled softly as she asked.

"Uh... um..."

"Look at that dropout squirm." Migi's face hardened as he looked to see Kirei joking to another Obelisk Blue sat beside him. "Why do they let these idiots into this place anyway?"

"I... don't know, Matou-sensei..." the Osiris Red finally choked out, clearly embarrassed. Matou cast a disapproving look at him, and turned to another raised hand, this one belonging to a Ra Yellow.

"Yes? You are?"

"Kagi Gisei," Kagi answered. "Vanadis is an alternate name for the Norse goddess Freyja, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, gold and death."

"Very good, Kagi-san," Matou smiled. "As for you, my friend," she regarded the Osiris Red, "I suggest you follow the example of your more studious superiors and learn."

"Yes, Matou-sensei," the mortified Osiris Red answered. Migi's frown grew even deeper.

"_Did she single him out just to try and humiliate an Osiris Red?" _he wondered. _"I thought the staff at least would have stopped this discrimination..."_

M-I-R-R-O-R

"That was terrible, how she picked on that Osiris Red," Kagi commented. She and Migi stood outside the classroom, discussing.

"I know, Kagi-san," Migi said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But unfortunately there's not much we can do if even the staff still regard Osiris Reds that way." He glanced past Kagi, seeing said Osiris Red walking away, presumably towards the card shop. And trailing behind him was Kirei and his Obelisk Blue friend. The young man's face hardened. "Excuse me, Kagi-san. I want to go and buy some cards."

"I'll see you around," Kagi said, with a hesitant smile.

"Goodbye," Migi nodded, walking away past her onto the pathway leading to the Academia card shop...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"I'd like these two booster packs, please..."

Migi watched from the back of the shop, pretending to be intently studying a set of packs which looked vaguely like they might fit his Deck theme. He plucked a Lost Sanctuary Structure Deck off of the racks, reading the info on the back. "Hm... it has Fairies... but a bit too flashy." He considered. "I could use some of the cards, I suppose." Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the Osiris Red pass over some money to pay for the two boosters, and gratefully accepting them, walk out. "Later, I guess." The Obelisk Blue replaced the deck on the shelf, and then left the shop. He caught the Osiris Red out of the corner of his eye, walking around the side of the shop, and following, peering around.

"I... I got the booster packs, Nakata-sama," the Osiris Red stammered to Kirei, who stood imposingly over him, accompanied by three other thuggish-looking Obelisk Blues.

"Well, open them up then, you Osiris dropout!" Migi's face hardened.

"Y-yes Nakata-sama!" The boy fumbled with the boosters, opening them quickly. Kirei snatched the cards away, and began to toss them aside to the ground.

"Trash, trash, trash, trash..." he muttered. "Damn Osiris! Your dropout luck is ruining my chances of getting good cards!"

"Sorry, Nakata-sama!" the Osiris apologized, bowing his head rapidly as Kirei continued to demean and toss away the cards he had bought, his apparent cronies regarding the Osiris Red with stony expression. Migi's expression turned to one of anger and disgust.

"Trash, trash... oh, finally!" Kirei smirked and laughed. "Finally you bring me something worthy, you dropout! This Synchro'll go very well in my Deck!" He flashed a card, too quickly for Migi to really see it. "Now pick up this trash, give it to me and shove off back to your ratty dorm! I expect more boosters tomorrow."

"No, you don't," Migi spoke, very coldly. "You don't at all." He stepped from where he was watching, revealing himself. Kirei glared at him, as did the other Obelisks.

"What, you're going to defend this dropout trash?"

"Yes," Migi answered. "It's called common decency, Nakata-teme." Kirei's face twisted into one of anger at the use of the slur. "And I won't let you take the cards which are rightfully his."

"Why not?" Kirei shot back. "This dropout shouldn't even be here! So he should earn some goodwill by giving up these cards, even if they are trash!"

"Be quiet!" the Obelisk Blue snapped. "I'll make a deal with you. We'll Duel. If I win, you give him back those cards. If you win, you give them back, but in exchange, I'll let you choose any card you want from my collection and take it. Fair deal?"

"Why are you sticking out your neck for this dropout?"

"Because I believe, as Ikutski-sensei said last night, that we Obelisks have a responsibility which comes with our position," Migi said, activating his Duel Disk. "You may believe otherwise, but I stand by that responsibility. And to stand by it, I'll 'stick my neck out' as you put it, for those who I feel deserve it. Do you accept my offer?"

Kirei smirked. "If you want to give up a card for this dropout, that's your loss. Game on." He activated his own Disk, and quickly slipped the Synchro Monster card into the Extra Deck slot. "But I'll be using this for now. Hold onto the rest of those trash cards, dropout."

"What's your name?" Migi asked.

"You know it already! Nakata Kirei!"

"I wasn't talking to you," his opponent snapped, looking at the Osiris Red. "You, Osiris Red. What's your name?"

"Kuzuyama... Takuya..."

"Well, Kuzuyama-san," Migi smiled. "I promise you, I'm going to stop people like this bastard," he shot a pointed glare at Kirei, "from thinking they can do what they like to Osiris Reds just because of where they stand."

"You're full of crap!" Kirei barked. "You're an Obelisk too! This is defying natural order, Tadashi-san!"

"Oh? We'll see," Migi answered. "Game... on!" They each drew five cards, and facing off, glared into each others' eyes.

"Duel!"

_**Migi 4000LP/Kirei 4000LP**_

"I'll take the first move!" Kirei declared, drawing. He smirked a crooked smile. _"Perfect. Everything's set up and ready." _

"I set one monster, along with two face-down cards, and end my turn," he concluded. The three face-downs flashed into existence.

_**Migi 4000LP/Kirei 4000LP**_

"Draw," Migi said. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Court of Justice." A shining ring of golden energy appeared, hovering over his field. "Next, I summon Sacred Spirit Parmal." Particles of light collected before him, forming into a white-armored being with small white wings, and precious gems adorning its armor (200/300/L1).

"Since I now control a Level One Fairy, I activate the effect of Court of Justice, Special Summoning any Fairy-Type from my hand. I summon Tethys, Goddess of Light!" With a flash of radiant white from the ring, an angelic form appeared, a divinely beautiful woman with platinum-hue hair, clad in a pure white, gold-trimmed dress. Her majestic wings spread as Tethys smiled (2400/1800/L5).

"Tethys, attack his face-down monster," Migi commanded. "_Radiant Surge_!" Tethys put her hands together, and a burst of blinding light tore from them, consuming the face-down monster.

But when the light faded, it was still there, an adorable chestnut-brown puppy with a green handkerchief tied like a scarf around its neck, and a dagger with a bone hilt sheathed on a harness by its neck (800/600/L2).

"Shiba-Warrior Taro can't be destroyed by battle," Kirei smirked. Migi frowned, and placed a card into his Disk.

"I set a card and end my turn," he concluded.

_**Migi 4000LP/Kirei 4000LP**_

"Draw," Kirei said. "I summon Phantom Beast Cross-Wing!" With a piercing shriek, a golden eagle with four mighty wings swooped down to his field, glaring at Migi (1300/1300/L4). "And now, I activate the Trap Card, Chain Destruction! Since a monster with less than two-thousand attack points was just summoned, I can use Chain Destruction to destroy all the cards with the same name in my hand and Deck!" Two more copies of Cross-Wing slid out of his Deck, and he placed them into the Graveyard.

"I don't get it... why'd he do that?" Takuya asked.

"You'll see," Kirei said as his Deck shuffled. "Now to properly introduce my Taro... he's a Tuner monster. Tuning! Level Two Shiba-Warrior Taro! Level Four Phantom Beast Cross-Wing!"

Taro barked and burst into two glowing stars, as Cross-Wing burst into four. The stars shot into the air and collided in a brilliant flash as Kirei chanted.

"_The strong shall always dominate the weak! Great wolf king of the stars, descend to the earth and enforce the order of Nature! Synchro Summon! Crush them with your fangs! Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius!" _

With a furious howl, a monster crashed to the field, a massive hulking blue wolf-man. Blades and spines covered its lithe body, and in place of hands, two wolf heads snarled and snapped furiously. Six crimson eyes glared hungrily at the Fairies opposite... or maybe at Migi himself. Howling savagely, Sirius rose, three sets of jaws snapping and drooling as the wolf king glared death (2400/1500/L6).

"I presume that's the Synchro Monster you just took from Kuzuyama-san," Migi said, gazing unflinchingly at Sirius.

"Why are you acting like it's such a crime? An Osiris dropout couldn't use a card like this to full potential anyway!"

"You can't know that," his opponent murmured.

"Sirius, attack his Parmal!" With a savage roar, the Heavenly Wolf King erupted across the field, jaws snapping in anticipation...

"Trap Card, open," Migi said. "Photonize! Your attack is negated, and a Light-Attribute monster I control gains attack points equal to those of your attacking monster until my next End Phase." A barrier of light exploded into being, and Sirius was knocked staggering away as radiant power blazed around Sacred Spirit Parmal (2600/300/L1).

"It was worth a shot," Kirei shrugged. "Turn end."

_**Migi 4000LP/Kirei 4000LP**_

"Draw," Migi spoke. "Because I drew a Fairy-Type, my Tethys' effect activates, and lets me draw again by revealing the card," he flashed Happy Lover to his opponent and drew, "and again," this time he revealed Mokey Mokey, drawing once again.

"I activate Reinforcement of the Army," he said. "I'm going to end this now." He took a card from his Deck. "I use the effect of Court of Justice to summon Happy Lover!" Light flashed from the golden ring and coalesced into a cute pale yellow sphere with four pink wings, a heart-shaped mark adorning its forehead (800/500/L2). "Next, I summon my own Tuner Monster, Junk Synchron!"

In a flash of light, an orange-armored, stout warrior appeared, covered in plates of orange metal over pistons and pipes which seemed to form his body. A smokestack-like hat topped his head, and a white scarf was slung around his neck, an engine fastened to his back (1300/500/L3). "If you choose to oppress those you see as below you, Nataka-teme, then I'll show you what power the 'weak' can truly unleash. Tuning! Level Three Junk Synchron! Level Two Happy Lover!"

Junk Synchron pulled a ripcord, sending its engine roaring into life, then causing it and Happy Lover to burst into five glowing stars which flew skywards...

"_It is said that the meek shall inherit the earth. The oppressed, the downtrodden, behold the champion who shall break your chains and start a revolution! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Junk Warrior!" _Migi chanted, raising his hands to the sky.

And his monster descended, clad in violet armor, the white scarf around its neck whipping in the wind. Glaring with red optic sensors, the armor-coated, machine-esque form of Junk Warrior landed, hurling a punch with one fist as it roared (2300/1300/L5).

"Junk Warrior's monster effect," Migi declared. "When he is Synchro Summoned, he gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of all Level Two or lower monsters I control. _Power of Fellows_!" Junk Warrior raised a hand and light shone to it from Parmal, cloaking the Synchro Monster in glorious radiance (4900/1300/L5). "This is the final turn. This is what those you consider 'weak' can do. Junk Warrior! Attack Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius! _**Scrap Fist**_!"

The violet-armored Synchro erupted across the field, drawing back one fist and then hurling it into a devastating punch to Blue Sirius. The wolf howled in agony before shattering apart into many shards. Kirei snarled as the punch slammed into him, sending him staggering back.

"I activate Shock Reborn!" he barked. "The damage is halved!"

(_Kirei 2750LP_)

"Then I can Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard with attack points equal to or lower than the damage I took!" With a bark, Shiba-Warrior Taro appeared once again (800/600/L2). "And my Sirius' effect activates, when it's destroyed I get to select one of your monsters and it loses twenty-four-hundred attack points." A blazing crimson aura appeared around Junk Warrior (2500/1300/L5).

"Damn," Migi muttered, glancing over his hand of three cards. "I activate Mystic Wok. Since my Parmal loses the attack boost from Photonize at the end of the turn in any case, I'll sacrifice him and gain Life Points equal to his attack points." The armored Fairy faded into golden motes which soaked into his master's form. "Turn end."

_**Migi 6600LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"Draw," Kirei smirked. "I summon Phantom Beast Wild-Horn!" With a snarl, a towering figure appeared on his field beside Shiba-Warrior Taro, a brown-furred moose-man clad in loose crimson garments. He drew a crescent-shaped blade with a snort, holding it menacingly (1700/0/L4). "You wondered why I sent those Cross-Wings to the Graveyard, Osiris? Here's why. For each Cross-Wing in my Graveyard, all face-up Phantom Beasts I control get three-hundred attack points." A blazing golden aura surrounded Wild-Horn (2600/0).

"Next, I activate Enemy Controller, and use it to switch your Junk Warrior to defense mode." Junk Warrior was surrounded by an aura of electric-blue, and knelt, crossing his arms defensively (2500/1300/L5). "Wild-Horn inflicts piercing damage! Attack Junk Warrior!" Wild-Horn roared and charged, slashing through Junk Warrior with a swing of his blade and shattering the Synchro before striking Migi.

(_Migi 5200LP_)

"Because a monster just got destroyed, Shiba-Warrior Taro bounces back to my hand," Kirei continued, taking the card as his monster vanished. "I activate Hand Destruction! Now we both discard two cards, and draw two more!" He placed Shiba-Warrior Taro and Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus into his Graveyard, while Migi placed Mokey Mokey and Photon Veil into the Graveyard, then each of them drew twice. "And I'll end my turn with a pair of face-down cards." The reverse cards appeared.

Takuya looked on the edge of breaking down, while Migi had gained an early lead, he was now staring down a monster stronger than the only card he had in play.

"Don't worry," the Obelisk Blue said. "I can do this."

_**Migi 5200LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"_Somehow," _he added mentally as he drew. "I use my Goddess' effect." He revealed Iofiel and drew again. _"Father... if I drew your card I could end this..." _

"I activate the Spell Card, Gift of the Weak," he said. "By banishing a Level Three or lower monster in my hand, Gift of the Weak lets me draw twice." He pocketed Angel 01 and drew two cards. _"Damn it... not here..."_

"I summon Iofiel!" The angelic suit of armor manifested before him, shining radiantly as it spread pure white wings (1000/800/L4). "And I use its effect, sending a Level One Fairy from my Deck to the Graveyard to have Iofiel gain one-thousand attack points." He placed his second Mokey Mokey into the Graveyard, his Deck shuffling as golden radiance surrounded Iofiel's form (2000/800/L4), then set a card from his hand. "Turn end."

_**Migi 5200LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"Draw," Kirei smirked, doing so. "I now Release my Wild-Horn," the moose-man burst into flickering aurora lights, "to Advance Summon my ace! _Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard_!" The aurora coalesced into the form of a colossal centaur-like monstrosity, with dirt-brown flesh under rocky plates of armor. As the name implied, it was reptilian in appearance, and two shield-like protrusions of rock adorned its arms, extending into blade-like spikes. Rock-Lizard roared, glaring across the field at Migi as its feet stamped (2200/2000/L7 → 3100/2000/L7).

"Wonderful," Migi deadpanned. "And completely expected from the moment Cross-Wing appeared. Oh, you've got some twists, like that Shiba-Warrior, but at heart? This is just a run of the mill Phantom Beast Deck. If you think that'll stop me, Nakata-teme, you're wrong."

"We'll see," the other Obelisk growled as one of his face-downs lifted up. "I activate the Trap Card, Horn of the Phantom Beast! This card equips onto a Beast or Beast-Warrior I control, like my Rock-Lizard, and gives it eight-hundred more points!" A pair of majestic antlers appeared atop the monstrous being's skull as it roared, a blazing aura surrounding it (3900/2000). "Now, Rock-Lizard, attack Tethys!" With another roar, the Phantom Beast erupted across the field and delivered a mighty blow with one of its blade-spikes, impaling Tethys, who screamed and shattered.

(_Migi 3700LP_)

"When Rock-Lizard destroys a monster, you take five-hundred damage!" Kirei smirked as Rock-Lizard stamped its foot down, causing the ground under Migi's feet to erupt with lava. He cried out in pain as the plume engulfed him.

(_Migi 3200LP_)

"And since Horn of the Phantom Beast's equipped monster destroyed something by battle, I draw a card," the Obelisk Blue continued, drawing once before his second Trap lifted. "Go, Desperado Battle! By cutting Rock-Lizard's attack score by a thousand, it can attack again this turn!" A crimson aura surrounded Rock-Lizard (2900/2000/L7) turned and impaled Iofiel with a mighty blow, the angelic armor shattering into shards.

_(Migi 2300LP_)

Kirei drew another card, as Rock-Lizard stamped the ground and Migi was consumed in a plume of lava once again.

(_Migi 1800LP_)

Kirei smiled. "Turn end." The crimson aura around Rock-Lizard faded away (3900/2000/L7). "You may as well give up now. I know about your Deck, Tadashi-san. And three-thousand attack points isn't enough to compete with my Rock-Lizard now. And Rock-Lizard has another effect, if it's destroyed by a card effect, you take two-thousand damage."

"So you think you've got me trapped?" Migi murmured. "We'll see. Trap Card, open! Shock Draw!" He drew three times, bringing his hand to five.

_**Migi 1800LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"Draw," he continued. "I set one monster and one card, and end my turn." The two reversed cards appeared before him.

_**Migi 1800LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"My draw," Kirei smirked. _"How can my hand be this useless?" _His six-card hand consisted of his second Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard, another Shiba-Warrior Taro, Pot of Avarice, Vorse Raider, Miracle Moment and Horn of the Phantom Beast.

"I summon Vorse Raider!" With a snarl, a demonic-looking Beast-Warrior appeared beside Rock-Lizard, wielding a savage-looking halberd (1900/1200/L4). "Now, Rock-Lizard, attack his monster!" The colossal Phantom Beast erupted across the field and impaled Migi's monster, a blazing ring of crystal with with shining white wings (1400/800/L4). Then the centaur-like reptile stomped the ground, its owner drawing as a plume of flame consumed Migi.

(_Migi 1300LP_)

"Nova Summoner's effect," Migi said as a second Nova Summoner took form before him (1400/800/L4). A furious-looking Kirei gestured, and Vorse Raider's halberd fell, shattering the ring-shaped Fairy. "And that one's effect. Come forth! My mother's legacy! My birthright! _Shatiel_!" In glorious light, an angel with brilliant white wings appeared, clad in Greek hoplite armor and wielding a circular shield bearing the device of a twelve-pointed star (500/2000/L5). "Due to Shatiel's effect, for each Fairy-Type I control, all Fairy-Types I have in play gain four-hundred points apiece!" Light shone around Shatiel (900/2400/L5).

"Turn end," Kirei muttered, glaring at the Enraged Battle Ox he had drawn with Horn of the Phantom Beast's effect while setting the second Horn.

"In your End Phase, I activate... Call of the Haunted!" Migi declared. "Tethys, Goddess of Light is revived!" In a flash of brilliant light, the beautiful goddess arose, standing beside Shatiel (1300/2800/L5) and glaring death at Kirei (2400/1800/L5 – 3200/2600/L5).

_**Migi 1300LP/Kirei 2750LP**_

"Draw," Migi said quietly, revealing the card as his second Happy Lover. "Tethys' effect." He drew again, and revealed his third and final Mokey Mokey, "again," he drew a third time.

"It's time this ended," Migi declared. "I summon Mokey Mokey." With a soft 'Mokey Mokey' the pale blue box-shaped Fairy formed, spreading its small golden wings (300/100/L1 → 1500/1300/L1), causing Tethys (3600/3000/L5) and Shatiel (1700/3200/L5) to glow all the brighter. "Next, the effect of Court of Justice." With a coo, Happy Lover formed from the divine light, shining from Shatiel's effect (800/500/L2 → 2400/2100/L2), as Mokey Mokey (1900/1700/L1), Tethys (4000/3400/L5) and Shatiel (2100/3600/L5) grew in glorious light.

An astounded Kirei looked on. _"I still have my second Horn... even if Tethys attacks Rock-Lizard I can chain it, and end this next turn!" _

"Still weaving schemes," Migi said, shaking his head as he revealed a card, causing Kirei to pale. "You're finished. Spell Card! Soul Release! I choose to banish all three of your Cross-Wings, your Blue Sirius," Kirei smirked, "_and _the Thunder-Pegasus I know is in your Graveyard." The five cards slipped from Kirei's Graveyard slot and his face went white with shock. He made no move to get the cards even as the aura of power around Rock-Lizard dimmed (3000/2000/L7).

"You think just because you wear a blue jacket you can bully people and take the cards they themselves bought?" the other Obelisk Blue continued. "You, and every other misguided Obelisk who believes in that nonsense, are wrong. So stop bullying the Osiris Reds. All of them. Tethys, attack Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard! _Radiant Surge_!" The blast of divine power lanced from Tethys' hand and struck Rock-Lizard, sending cracks across its body before with a howl of agony, it shattered into pixels.

(_Kirei 1750LP_)

"Happy Lover, attack Vorse Raider!" A heart-shaped beam of light shot from Happy Lover's forehead, striking Vorse Raider and causing it to shatter into pixels.

(_Kirei 1250LP_)

"Mokey Mokey, end this." The small blue Fairy shot across the field and bodily plowed into Kirei, knocking him to the ground. He just stared on in shock, aghast that his ace had been so easily defeated.

_**Migi 1300LP/Kirei 0LP**_

The cards faded, Migi's monsters giving one last glare at Kirei, and slight nods to Takuya.

"Tadashi-sama... you won!" the Osiris Red exclaimed in delight.

"Don't call me that," the Obelisk Blue sighed. "I'm just like you. I'm no better. You hear me, Kuzuyama-san?"

"Yeah, Tadashi-_san_," Takuya smiled. Migi stalked forwards and stood over the defeated Kirei.

"You lost," he stated. "And our deal stands, Nataka-san. I'm done being insulting. Hopefully you've learned from this... but let me say this. If I _ever _catch any Obelisk Blue bullying or insulting an Osiris Red out of some misguided sense of superiority, I won't hesitate to come down hard on them. Spread the word, Nataka-san. Tadashi Migi is taking a stand against this. I won't let you abuse your assumed power. Not without fighting against it." He gestured towards Takuya. "Now give Kuzuyama-san back his card. _And _apologize for what you did."

Bowing his head in shame, Kirei stood and held out a hand to Takuya, the Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius card gripped loosely in his fingers. The Osiris Red took the Synchro Monster, as with obvious hesitancy, the Obelisk Blue spoke. "I apologize for my behavior towards you, Kuzuyama-san. It won't happen again, I swear."

"Thank you," Takuya nodded, smiling.

"Now go, and spread the world, Nataka-san," Migi said sternly. Kirei turned and strode away briskly, heading for the Obelisk Dorm, clearly shaking with rage. His three cronies rushed after him.

"Great show, Tadashi-san." It was Shimo, emerging from the side of the card shop. "Bastard deserved a putdown like that."

"You were watching?" Migi questioned.

"I came to get some cards and saw that jerkass bullying Kuzuyama-san here," the Osiris Red explained. "I was gonna step in and beat his sorry ass down, but you got there before me, heh. Thanks for that. We can't have the Obelisks thinking they're allowed to mess around with us, right?"

"Sorry, Tadashi-san, Shimo-san," Takuya cut in. "I have a class to get to. But, Tadashi-san," he smiled, "thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," Migi replied. "It's wrong to tread over people because you perceive yourself as superior. I wasn't going to let Nataka-san get away with that."

Takuya nodded. "Still, thank you." He looked down at his Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius card."Maybe someday I can use this against you, huh?" Migi chuckled.

"It's be my pleasure to face you across the dueling field one day, Kuzuyama-san. Whenever you want that match, I'll be waiting." Smiling in delight, Takuya ran to get to his class, leaving Migi and Shimo alone.

"How's Kagi-chan?" Shimo asked. "She told me she had her first class with you."

"Fine," the Obelisk Blue replied. "She stepped in during that class to help Kuzuyama-san, actually. The teacher had the same attitude towards Osiris Reds as..."

"I think if you're gonna tackle this head-on, Tadashi-san," Shimo sighed, leaning against the card shop wall. "You're gonna be swamped. Looks like most Obelisk Blues are stuck-up jerkasses, with the odd exception." Migi frowned.

"That bad?"

"Well, judging by the amount of 'dropout boy' comments I got just from my first class," the Osiris Red answered. "Yeah. I can take their crap, but some of the other Osiris Reds I was with looked pretty torn up about it." Migi's frown deepened.

"Bastards," he swore under his breath. "I thought the Academia had sorted out the discrimination against Osiris Reds."

"Living, breathing proof they haven't just got his sorry ass kicked by you," Shimo muttered, shaking his head.

"Unfortunately," Migi spoke darkly. "But... no point in talking about it now. How're things at the Osiris Dorm? How's your roommate?"

"Nice guy," Shimo shrugged. "Itou-san's great, really. He has this other game he plays called 'Vanguard', and he's gonna try and get hold of some cards so he can teach me how to play with my own Deck. He's trying to get some anime episodes for me to watch for it as well."

"Vanguard...?" the Obelisk Blue mused. "I think I've heard of that. Did I watch an episode? I think I did, once. Just randomly because it was the only thing on TV. The main character's called Sendou Aichi, right?"

"From what Itou-san says, yeah," his friend nodded. "Rival... guy's called Kai Toshiki, and apparently he's a bit of a jerk. Or something."

"The brown-haired guy who uses the dragons?" Shimo nodded. "He was playing in the episode I watched... who was it against? The lavender-haired girl in the black uniform..."

"I think that's Misaki," the Osiris Red student answered. "From how Itou-san described them, that sounds like Tokura Misaki."

"It looked good from what I saw," Migi smiled. "I might try and get hold of more episodes myself, if it's as good as you say."

"Itou-san recommends it quite strongly, so I guess it must be pretty good," Shimo chuckled. "Did Kagi-chan have a lesson now?"

"From what she said earlier, I don't think she has another one until after lunch," the Obelisk Blue ace said. "Why? Do you want to speak to her?"

"Hm, yeah, I guess. Just to see how she's doing and all."

"In that case, I'll let you go looking... wait, did you buy some cards? You said you came down here to get some," Migi commented.

"Yeah," Shimo nodded, holding up a pair of boosters. "Wonder what I got?"

"You want to open them with Kagi-san, right?" Shimo nodded. "You two seem pretty close."

A slight blush came to Shimo's cheeks. "We've been close friends for years, I guess. Higure-san and Kagi-chan knew each other from pretty much the first year of school, and I transferred in two years after that because my family moved from the Kyoto area. I got friendly with Kagi-chan and met Higure-san through her, and we've just kinda stuck together since, I suppose. I've always been a closer friend to Kagi-chan though. Higure-san's a bit... distant, I suppose."

"I see that," Migi mused. "Well, I won't keep you, Shimo-san. I hope you find her."

"Thanks." With that, Shimo walked away, heading up the path back towards the main Academia building, while Migi leaned against the wall and pursued his lips in thought.

So Himawari was distant from Shimo and Kagi, apparently her closest friends? And even with that apparent connection she still used the honorific which denoted the least familiarity with someone? She spoke about being disappointed at not having a perfect victory... he wondered. Did she walk the path he did, just in a different place? He could only wonder... did she too find the thrill of conquest intoxicating?

And what lay behind her mere humanity? What hid behind the face, the mask? There was something, he had felt it that day. But what...?

M-I-R-R-O-R

Kagi sat alone. She held her Duel Pilot in hand as she gazed across the verdant slopes, down towards the ocean as it sparkled and danced under the sunlight. She saw the two Ra Yellow dorms perched near the clifftops ahead of her, and turning her head to the side yielded a view of the Obelisk Blue dorms by the lake.

The volcano which dominated the island skyline was very much dormant, its last eruption hadn't even been recorded. As such, it was considered quite safe to build the Academia on the island, and some paths led up to plateaus a short distance above the mountain's base. Some of these had benches where students could sit and gaze out across the island, taking in its splendor and beauty. Kagi guessed that these spots were popular with couples, she had already seen several other students holding each other close on benches and gazing out to the horizon.

"Hey, Kagi-chan." She jumped slightly as Shimo spoke, appearing to jump out of nowhere to sit on the bench beside her.

"Hey, Shimo-kun," she greeted in turn, pocketing her Duel Pilot. "How was Tadashi-san?"

"Fine," he smiled. "Annoyed about that Obelisk he had to beat, but fine."

"That's good," she sighed. "So, what about the boosters you bought?" He held them out. She cast an eye over the two. Gemini Miracle. A special booster dedicated to Hero Monsters and Gemini Monsters, Shimo's twin specialties.

"How about we open one each?" he smiled, holding one out to her. She took it, smiling and nodding. The two held the boosters loosely, exchanging glances. They slowly opened them, trying to make the boosters finally yield their treasures in unison. As the boosters fully opened, they withdrew the nine cards each from within and fanned them. Their eyes searched, and Kagi gave a wide smile.

"Present for you, Shimo-kun." She handed him a card, which he gazed at in wonder. He read the name first: _Elemental Hero The Shining_. Then his eyes wandered the picture, taking in the white-suited hero and the golden solar disk arrangement hovering behind him.

"That's... amazing," he finally said, smiling as he looked at her. "Amazing." She chuckled.

"Glad to be your lucky charm, Shimo-kun." It was true. Ever since they had started this ritual, they found that when the other person had opened packs they had bought, invariably rare cards had emerged, useful ones too. So they kept going with it, calling each other lucky charms because that was just what it seemed. "What did you get?"

He revealed the nine cards and she scanned them. Gemini Soldier, Infinity Dark, Elemental Hero Sparkman, Hero Solidarity, Supervise, Hero's Guard, Elemental Hero Woodsman, Future Samurai, and Elemental Hero Knospe. "How about you, Kagi-chan?"

She revealed the cards she was holding, Elemental Hero Captain Gold, Skyscraper 2 – Hero City, Chthonian Emperor Dragon, Unleash Your Power!, Evocator Chevalier, Phoenix Gearfried, Hero Mask, and Wroughtweiler. Then she handed them to him with a smile. He stared down at his prize, her gift to him through luck, Elemental Hero The Shining.

"Thank you," he smiled.

"It's no problem, Shimo-kun." She smiled widely. "After all, the first time we did this, you gave me Divine Grace – Northwemko, remember?"

"Yeah," Shimo said cheerfully, staring out to sea. "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

"What is?" she asked.

"The island, and the sea, looking at it from up here," he answered, looking at his friend and smiling. "Don't you think?"

"Yeah... it is," Kagi murmured, gazing out. The two sat for a long while, and just watched the light on the water, and the beauty of the island below. Content and joyful just sitting there with one another, observing the glory and beauty of nature under the sunlight which chased the darkness away.

And the whiteness watched too, it gazed from behind them and its voice whispered in mournful tones as it regarded the two friends. _"I'm... sorry... all of you. Both of you. I am sorry." _For a moment, its voice seemed... human. Not that cold, eerie whisper like the wind across the broken expanse of a bloody, corpse-strewn battlefield. For a moment, the voice was human and pitying and sad. And then it was cold, mournful and deathly once more.

"_The full moon in the sky at zenith's height, burning red above on this starless night..."_

M-I-R-R-O-R

_Card Stats:_

_Monsters:_

Sacred Spirit Parmal

LIGHT/ Fairy /Level 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300

(Sacred Spirit Parmal was first used by Reggie Mackenzie in the GX manga chapter 35 'Conclusion! And...?' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX manga. A note: bizarrely it seems that two GX manga chapters have the same name, I have included the numbers of the respective chapters to avoid confusion and will continue to do so in future.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius

DARK/ Beast-Warrior/Synchro/Effect /Level 6/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1500

1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

When this card is destroyed and sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls. That monster loses 2400 ATK.

(Heavenly Wolf King Blue Sirius was released as a promo for the V-Jump Magazine in the OCG. A TCG release for it is currently unknown.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Shatiel

LIGHT/ Fairy/Effect /Level 5/ATK: 500/DEF: 2000

For every Fairy-Type monster on your side of the field, increase the ATK and DEF of Fairy-Type monsters you control by 400.

(Shatiel was first used by Reggie Mackenzie in the GX manga chapter 42 'Conclusion! And...?' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX manga.)

_Spells:_

Court of Justice

Continuous Spell Card

Image: Two white-winged Fairies hovering beside a golden ring as a beam of light shines down from it.

If you control a face-up Level 1 Fairy-Type monster, you can Special Summon 1 Fairy-Type monster from your hand. This effect can only be used once per turn.

(Court of Justice was released as a promo in Premium Pack 12 for the OCG. It is apparently being released in Legendary Collection 2 for the TCG.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Gift of the Weak

Normal Spell Card

Image: A Kuriboh hovering over two cards as a hand reaches out towards them, light shining down from above.

Banish 1 Level 3 or lower Monster Card from your hand; Draw 2 cards.

(Gift of the Weak was first used by Judai in the GX manga chapter 'Fusion Summon!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX manga.)

_Traps:_

Photonize

Normal Trap Card

Image: Bountiful Artemis hovering before a blinding light as rays shoot down and consume an Alien Warrior below, spheres of radiant light hovering in the air all around.

Activate only when your opponent's monster declares an attack. Negate the attack, and until your next End Phase, 1 face-up LIGHT monster you control gains ATK equal to the attacking monster.

(Photonize was released in the OCG set Photon Shockwave.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Shock Reborn

Normal Trap Card

Image: A stream of fire shooting towards a figure who resembles Yusei, as a four-winged demonic creature hovers over it, swathed in emerald energy.

Activate only when you would take Battle Damage. Halve the Battle Damage, then Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard whose ATK is equal to or less than the Battle Damage you took.

(Shock Reborn was first used by Yusei in the 5D's anime episode 'Proof of Evolution, Synchro Monster'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the 5D's anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

My name is Kagi Gisei. I am here because my father wishes it. But also because I care about my friends, Shimo-kun... Higure-san. And now, Tadashi-san too.

These Obelisk Blues believe that I'm wrong, just because I defy them when they try to put down innocent Osiris Reds. Their leader, especially... a cold-hearted bitch is all I can truly call her. They think apathy should be my response to what they do. They're wrong. I'll show them just how wrong.

Duel...

What will happen? The answers shall appear in Chapter Six – Chaos Goddess...


	6. Chapter 6: Chaos Goddess

_**Chapter 6 – Chaos Goddess**_

"_I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's _fair_."_

_The Joker, The Dark Knight_

Kagi chewed on her meal. Morsels of bread, sauce and some kind of salad were torn away from the eggwich she ate, Duel Academia Central's legendary delicacy. Sort of. All around she could see people who hadn't been so fortunate with their eggwiches, quite a few of them gagging at the horrible ingredients they had been unlucky enough to pull.

Finishing her eggwich, which she presumed was just salad, Kagi turned to the other part of her lunch, a cup of cup ramen from a brand she had vaguely heard of, Red Demon's Noodles. Tearing off the lid, she picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to pull out clumps of ramen from within, eating them slowly to savor the taste. Red Demon's Noodles, she quickly decided, were among the best cup ramen she'd ever had.

"They're good... aren't they?" Kagi glanced to the side to see a girl sat beside her, wearing an Osiris Red uniform. The Osiris Red also had a cup of Red Demon's Noodles, and she had a card laid on the table beside the cup.

"Yeah, they are," the Ra Yellow replied, after finishing chewing another clump of ramen. "I'm Kagi Gisei, at your service."

"Okiayu Maiya, at yours," the girl nodded, smiling and noting Kagi's gaze turning to the card beside her. "Oh, this is my friend. Want to see?" Kagi nodded, her mouth fill with ramen, and Maiya passed the card to her. It was a Ritual Monster, Light-Attribute, Warrior-Type called King of Heroes – Gilgamesh.

"Interesting," Kagi noted, swallowing her cup ramen. The card was clearly rare, it was marked 'Limited Edition', and she didn't even recognize the set code on it. She took in the towering golden armored warrior depicted on the card, who stood amidst a field of swords proudly, a crimson cloak flapping majestically in the wind behind him."Where did you get him?"

"_'Get' me? Who does this fool think I _am_?"_

"Calm down, Gil," Maiya muttered. "He's a promo card from a tournament I was in when I was younger." She noticed Kagi's expression, clearly shocked and surprised. "Wait... did you hear him?"

"I heard someone..." Kagi murmured, eyes tracking across the space. She and Maiya were alone at the table. "But there's..."

"_Can you not see me?"_

"That voice... again..."

"You can hear Gil?" Maiya asked, cocking her head to the side in surprise.

"Yes, Okiayu-san," Kagi answered. She was still trying to find the speaker. Where had the voice come from?

"_Are you blind, girl?"_

There. Her eyes fixated on the spot beside Maiya where the rough male voice had come from. She wasn't entirely sure how she understood him – from her mythological interests she knew that the Epic of Gilgamesh was Babylonian so he certainly shouldn't have been speaking quite faintly-accented Japanese if it really _was _Gilgamesh – but somehow she did. But there was... nothing visible. Where Gilgamesh would have been if he was there... nothing.

"I can hear him... but I can't see him," she finally concluded.

"Odd," Maiya murmured. "I can't see why, Kagi-san. I can see Gil just fine."

"_Don't call me that, please." _Gilgamesh had an irritated tone to his voice which suggested to Kagi that he had made this request many times before to no avail. _"I am the King of Heroes. I have dignity to maintain." _

Kagi took in another mouthful of cup ramen, noticing her cup was almost empty as she did so. She was still surprised about Maiya apparently having the sentient spirit of a Babylonian hero hanging around her though.

She passed the King of Heroes – Gilgamesh card back to Maiya, still chewing at her cup ramen. Finally, she swallowed, having collected her thoughts. "When did he... appear?"

"After I got the card, he just... showed up with it," the Osiris Red shrugged. "You're the first person I've met who can even tell he exists. Everyone else just... can't see, hear or touch him. Well, _I _can't touch him, he's like a ghost. But I can see and hear him."

"Strange..." Kagi murmured.

"Hey, Kagi-chan." It was Shimo, carrying a tray on which was his own eggwich, a cup of Red Demon's Noodles and a plastic cup of something, probably some kind of juice. "Who's your new friend?"

"Hey, Shimo-kun," she greeted in turn. "This is Okiayu Maiya."

"It's nice to meet you, Shimo-san," Maiya nodded, smiling.

"The same to you, Okiayu-san," Shimo smiled in turn, sitting down on Kagi's other side and placing his tray down on the table. "So, what's that card you both seem to be discussing? It looks interesting."

"King of Heroes – Gilgamesh," his friend explained. "Light-Attribute Warrior-Type Ritual Monster."

"Gilgamesh... Gil-ga-me-sh... can't say I've heard that name," Shimo frowned.

"He's the 'hero' of the Babylonian myth, The Epic of Gilgamesh," Kagi answered. "In the Epic, he and a man called Enkidu become friends and go on to adventure together, before Enkidu is killed out of divine retribution, leading Gilgamesh to seek immortality. He then loses the plant which grants immortality when a snake steals it away and eats it."

"_Nice to meet someone who knows of my quests," _Gilgamesh spoke from the air, but Shimo gave no sign of having heard the spirit.

"Interesting," the Gemini Hero user noted. "What does the card do?"

Maiya smiled and began to recite. "This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, 'Epic of Gilgamesh'. This card inflicts Piercing Damage. When this card attacks, you can change the attack target's battle position."

"That sounds pretty neat," Shimo commented.

"I don't get to summon Gil all that much," the other Osiris Red said. "I'm more of a collector than a duelist... so really, I don't bring him out all that often."

"That's a pity," Kagi smiled. "It's a good card... and he looks awesome. I'm sure you enjoy it when you do get to summon him, Okiayu-san."

"I do," the girl nodded.

"_And it is glorious to be able to enter the fray," _Gilgamesh boasted. Kagi nodded slightly, not willing to imply to her friend that she was insane by acknowledging a voice which to him hadn't spoken.

"Maybe we should duel sometime, Okiayu-san," Shimo chuckled. "I'd love to give Gilgamesh the chance to show his power on the battlefield." He took a bite from his eggwich, chewing on it before making a disgusted face and quite hesitantly swallowing.

"What was it?" Kagi and Maiya asked in unison.

"I don't even know... just that it's _disgusting_," Shimo muttered, voice full of disgust.

"Well, what have we here?"

The voice was so condensing and mocking that even before Kagi saw the speaker she knew they would be an Obelisk Blue. There was something about the voice which just oozed snobbish superiority. The speaker did not disappoint, a tall raven-haired girl with the clear belief she was some sort of nobility, to the degree it seemed she was actively trying to appear gigantic so as to make those she regarded as lesser cower. Her blue eyes shone venomously, radiating distaste as they regarded Maiya and Shimo, and disappointment when they turned to Kagi.

At the young woman's side was a young man, so obviously made to play the role of bodyguard and valet that Kagi wanted to laugh. His hair was neatly slicked back, his uniform was pristine and he was like any good valet, present, but veiled by the aura of presence his master exuded. He was simply insignificant in her presence.

"Who are you?" Kagi asked, directly making the question as darkly challenging as she could muster. She could tell this would not be enjoyable in the slightest.

"Miyamoto Shizuka, Obelisk Blue Third Year," the girl answered. "And why are you, a Ra Yellow, sat with these dropout Osiris Reds?"

Out of sight Kagi's fist clenched. Of course.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't sit with my friends?"

"Oh, you're friends with them?" Shizuka mocked. "How amusing, that you regard those below your class as _friends_. Perhaps you should associate with those more equal to yourself, Ra Yellow."

"I'm fine with them as my friends," Kagi snapped. "Is there any problem with that?"

"You may believe whatever nonsense you want," the Obelisk Blue answered. "But don't shame your position by sitting among the dropout scum of this Academia. Go on, there's a table of Ra Yellows over there." She gestured vaguely to another table. "Your company there will be welcome, I'm sure." Kagi's fist was by now so tightly clenched she felt like her nails were trying to stab through her palm, and she was trembling with anger.

"Shut. Up." she intoned through clenched teeth, she hated this, this ridiculous discrimination and snobbery the Obelisk Blue dorm had in abundance, she wanted it gone, to stop.

Shizuka let out a sound of indignation. "You talk to me like that? Rethink your talk, Ra Yellow. You're not important enough to say things like that."

"Shut up!" Kagi exploded, standing, eyes turned but she didn't care. "Just shut the hell up! Shut. Your. Mouth! They're my friends! I will sit with them because I find that they're good people, unlike you! So shut up, you bitch!" She was openly shaking with rage, having to restrain herself from taking her fist and using it to break the mask of haughty calm over Shizuka's face. She wanted so much to see red on that face.

Shizuka glared death at Kagi. "If you choose to associate with scum and drag your reputation through the mud, so be it. Let's leave them to it, Takeo."

"Yes, Shizuka-ojou," the valet-type nodded, moving to follow her away.

Shimo had not moved, but it was noticeable how his eyes regarded Shizuka, full of anger. He too had clenched fists and was trembling. The air around him seemed to freeze from the built-up tension, his clenched teeth barely audible as they ground against one another.

"Shimo-kun..."

Shizuka tripped. That would be the explanation from that instant onwards. Somehow she had tripped on a flat floor, because there was no explanation for how, with no-one anywhere near but her brother, who it would be sworn by all eyewitnesses had not moved anything but his legs, she had somehow gone flying forwards to have her face land face-first in a bowl of some sort of soup ordered by a student with concerns about their weight. But afterward, everyone would wonder how exactly Miyamoto Shizuka, who had after all achieved many prizes in gymnastics and other sports of grace before coming to the Academia, had managed to trip over on a perfectly flat surface.

Shizuka crashed down, face landing in a bowl of orange soup. The stunned and horrified person with the bowl could only look down at the young woman who had somehow faceplanted into her soup in shock. The atmosphere was suddenly pregnant with anticipation as Takeo hurried forwards. A true valet. No worry showed on his face, but those who looked into his eyes could see the stunned surprise. "Shizuka-ojou!"

And she rose up, face covered in soup, like some hideous monster. She whirled on her heel, glaring back at the two Osiris Reds and the Ra Yellow at the table. None of them had moved from their seats. And they couldn't have tripped her and gotten back to their seat in time. It was... impossible.

She turned away. "Get me something to get this... _filth_ off of my face." Takeo hurried away in that strangely fluid manner known only to servants of the valet type, hurrying while giving the impression of moving in an extremely graceful and dignified manner.

"Shimo-kun?" Kagi asked, looking at Shimo. His face had gone from absolute anger to shock and horror.

"No..." He stood and was gone, rushing away with a choked cry.

"Shimo-kun!" She stood, and with an apologetic glance to the puzzled Maiya, rushed after him. "Shimo-kun!" They left through the doors, which flapped shut, and all returned to normal. But Shizuka's glare turned to Maiya.

"You... you did this somehow," she snarled, glaring fierily and angrily at the Osiris Red...

M-I-R-R-O-R

"Shimo-kun!"

She found him on that plateau on the mountainside, slumped onto a bench with his head in his hands. He was shaking still, with anger? Kagi sat down beside him, and he glanced sideways, giving her a glimpse of his eyes, which were dark and filled with remnants of his incredible anger.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he muttered. Clearly lying, she realized.

"No, you're not." He didn't answer. "I know you, Shimo Hikaru!" The full-name usage combined with the lack of honorifics was enough to make him look at her, meeting her gaze, which was clearly one of concern, but with a hint of frustration. "Don't lie to me, Shimo-kun. I just want to help."

He emerged from his shell-like state, gazing out to the ocean and the horizon. "She just tripped, Kagi-chan. She was just clumsy." Lying again. But...

"I know," she finally said. "But you seemed really... guilty..." No answer. "If there's something you want to say, Shimo-kun... I'm here..."

"I just hate them," he said, looking at her again, sadly. "All of them. All of those stuck-up bastards and bitches, sat up on their ivory thrones, looking down from their balconies. I want to drag them down and show them the people they're looking down on, but I can't... I want to force them to stop."

"I know," Kagi murmured. "I know. But you can't force people to change."

"I can try." There was a darkness to the words, a very deep darkness which his anger seemed to have dredged up. It felt like the air was suddenly electrified and crackling.

"Calm down," she said firmly. No sign of complying. "Calm down, Shimo-kun!"

"Why?" he asked, the anger flowing back into his voice as he stood, backing away from her. "Why shouldn't I be angry, Kagi-chan? My dorm is the butt of jokes. Humiliated dropouts scorned by everyone!" He stood up, starting to shake with rage again. "Why can't I do... something to stop those Obelisk Blues from... why does it have to be this way?"

Kagi stood up and stared him in the eyes. There was pity in her gaze, pity for her friend and his anger at this injustice, but also a silent firmness. "I don't like it either, Shimo-kun." She stood and stepped towards him. "But we can't change the world on our own. Not with just the two of us." Another step. "Calm down, okay? We'll get support. One... two... not enough people to change things. But when we get the Osiris Reds and Ra Yellows to support us, then we can stop this." A third step, she was right next to him. He was still shaking. She reached out her arms. "So calm down, Shimo-kun. I promise you. We'll change things." And she wrapped his trembling form in a hug, friendly and affectionate. "You with me, Shimo-kun?"

He relaxed into her embrace, before slowly pulling away. There was a moment of silence and calm as they looked into each others' eyes. And he answered.

"Yes. I'm with you, Kagi-chan." In unison they smiled, resolve set on changing the order of Duel Academia and ending the injustice of discrimination against Osiris Reds...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Dark wings flaring in his mind, he regarded them. An amused chuckle from the midnight entity on its perch as it took in the statement. The room was filled with light from the great windows, decorated comfortably and regally, a room truly fit for its owner. And yet somehow none of that light spilled into the darkness of his eyes.

"One of those Osiris Red dropouts tripped me! We have to make an example! Or we'll lose all their respect!"

The darkness laughed. How amusing this thing was. All fire and indignation and snobbish superiority. Yet even she cowered back as the wings of his passenger flared, the darkness and the moonlight burning in his eyes.

"Enough." His voice chill, he ordered her to stop. "Enough, Miyamoto Shizuka." The passenger leaned to the forefront of his mind, did it want to see the spectacle of his judgment? To see a monster speaking his sentence upon those who had transgressed. His cold gaze turned to the bowed valet-figure by Shizuka's side. "Did the Osiris Reds trip your sister, Miyamoto Takeo?"

"I... don't know," Takeo answered. "They must have and yet..."

"Hm?" The passenger was silent and brooding.

"I can't understand how they could possibly have," the valet-figure answered. "There's no way..." His hand rose, and Takeo stopped. The passenger's wings trembled as though wishing to flare open fully, to make them cower back in the face of the monster unveiled. He quelled it with a thought. No. The mask stayed.

"Then your accusation is undone, Miyamoto Shizuka," he finally said. "I thought you better than to make complaints about people without evidence to back them up."

"But... I felt something push me!" she protested. "You can't just ignore..."

Irritated, the passenger flared its wings. He had had enough of Shizuka's pettiness towards the Osiris Reds. To make accusations without evidence was a step too far. "Enough!" All before him cowered back in the face of the passenger's dread wings, as his eyes spoke a cold irritation at being troubled with such pettiness. "Your petty feud with the Osiris Reds is no concern of mine." He reigned in the passenger's wings but they stayed cowering, half fear, half dread respect for the monster they saw in his eyes. "Stop troubling me with these stupid attempts to get me involved. I don't care how you treat them, but the Osiris Reds have nothing to offer me, Miyamoto. Dueling one would be a pathetic waste of my time."

And still she would not be _silent_. "So you'll let them disrespect..."

He couldn't be irritated, an empty monster like him with nothing but moonlight and the darkness of the passenger was beyond such petty emotions. He was just bored. Extremely, overtly bored of this pettiness. This princess threw tantrum after tantrum at every perceived slight and it was so _boring_.

"Shut up," he finally said. He didn't bother to let the passenger expose itself again. Indignation spread across her face. "I'm tired of you, Miyamoto. You fawn over me every hour of the day, you kiss and touch and smile," red spread across her cheeks as he flippantly spoke, "but the instant anyone in a red jacket so much as looks at you wrong you come crying to me and ask me to crush them." He paused to let the words sink in. Shizuka had finally been silenced. "What do you take me for? Your angel of judgment? You think the Osiris Reds are as deserving of punishment as Sodom? As Gomorrah?" He shook his head. "I'm not an angel. I'd have thought you'd have learned that by now... I'm also not your personal retribution. Ask me to 'punish' an Osiris Red one more time, Miyamoto, and you will be the one on the receiving end of my... punishment."

The cold tone made it quite clear that this 'punishment' would not be anything pleasant, and Shizuka apparently understood quite well, as she turned and was gone from the room. Takeo cast an apologetic glance to the young man.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Hayaki-sama," he said.

"Don't worry, Miyamoto Takeo," Kou answered. "Your sister is too easily slighted for her own good. I advise her to thicken her skin to insults. It's not your fault." He gave a slight smile, charming, reassuring. _False_. The thing behind his face chuckled at the visual lie.

"Thank you, Hayaki-sama. I'll ensure it does not happen again." He too turned and left, leaving the Kaiser alone. He gazed out of the window across the resplendent, shining view of the lake and wondered briefly how Shizuka had gotten into the Boys Dorm anyway. It didn't matter. Hopefully her brother would ensure she didn't return. If she did...

The passenger's wings fluttered and its claws twitched, anticipation, hunger? Even he couldn't read the thing inside his mind sometimes...

M-I-R-R-O-R

The final bell rang and students burst from their classrooms, heading for their dorms, or just to their favorite spots on the island.

Kagi and Shimo emerged from a classroom side-by-side. Shimo gazed down the corridor, to where he saw Shizuka walking away, trailed by her brother. A flicker of shadow ran across his eyes, a flash of anger and hate.

"Shimo-san?" It was Senshi, the teacher-slash-proctor appearing at the classroom doorway. "May I have a word with you?"

"Sure, Odayakana-sensei," Shimo nodded. "I'll see you later, Kagi-chan." She nodded, and walked away as Shimo re-entered the classroom, Senshi closing the door.

"I heard about the incident at lunchtime with Miyamoto Shizuka, Shimo-san," Senshi said once the door was closed. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"No, Odayakana-sensei," the student answered. "She tripped, that's all I saw." Senshi stared at him for a long, long time, evaluating, weighing up truth against falsehood. And then he seemed satisfied. Not... happy, but satisfied.

"Very well," he finally said. "Just try to stay out of trouble, huh, Shimo-san?"

"I will," Shimo nodded, opening the door and moving to follow Kagi as Senshi stared after him in silence.

M-I-R-R-O-R

The sunlight shone down on that silent, lonely plateau. The girl in the red jacket sat and gazed out to sea, card in hand, the man in the golden armor beside her. The whiteness gazed down from the trees. Its sigh sounded, cold, harsh like the wind on the battlefield. Its bright eyes picked out the blue jacketed one approaching from the path.

A second sigh. Its eyes moved back to the one in red on the bench. Then to the man in golden armor stood guardian over her, a sentinel unable to defend from what was approaching. And what would come. Oh so soon, the blood-moon would shine down, and all would end.

The whiteness was silent, and then it was gone. The world filled in the void once again as it vanished, departing from that silent view of the endless ocean...

Maiya gazed out. Gilgamesh stood beside her, also gazing out. The warrior king stood proud, armor resplendent in the burning radiance of the sunlight.

"You!" Startled, Maiya turned. And there was Shizuka, shaking with anger, trailed silently by her brother. "You filthy dropout... what did you do to me earlier?"

M-I-R-R-O-R

Kagi was fast.

She had run in competitions before at her father's will, and she had done well, third place, second, even first occasionally. She had spotted Shizuka heading for the plateau, and catching the glimpse of a red jacket further ahead on the path had only convinced her that the Obelisk was up to no good. So she ran. She ran as fast as she could.

It was at this point she supposed she could thank and curse the uniform in equal measures, the short skirt was of little hindrance to running, but that same skirt meant that pretty much every male (and more than a few females, she observed) ogled her legs in passing. She mouthed swear words under her breath, annoyed as she raced towards the plateau.

"No! Don't!"

Maiya's voice.

"Crap." The word passed from burning lungs into the air, of course, Shizuka had completely missed the point. Had she? Or was she just taking out her frustration at being humiliated on an Osiris Red who had been present? But Maiya was innocent either way. Shimo. He had done it... somehow, inexplicably, she knew he had.

She entered the tree-lined path. Light. Shadow. They kept alternating, the sunlight passing through the leaves. Warm light and cool shadow alternating over and over as she sprinted. How had she even heard Maiya? Could the girl just scream that loud? And what the hell was Shizuka doing?

Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. Lungs burning, throat searing. She forced herself to keep going, though the light and shadow until she burst back into the light. Her eyes searched. She found Shizuka, holding a blue-rimmed card. Gilgamesh, she knew instantly.

"_Off me, mongrel!"_

Yes. Gilgamesh, she mentally deadpanned. Too consumed in in, out, in, out, to stop and speak, she rushed onwards. She collided with Shizuka, who was too caught up in taunting Maiya to notice the furious Ra Yellow rushing at her. The card flew up and Kagi snatched it, stopping. In, out. Her breath ripped from her throat, sandpaper on her mouth. Gasping over and over, she forced herself to straighten. In, out.

"Enough, Miyamoto-san," she finally snapped, still somewhat out of breath. No need to actively insult the young woman, she knew, not venerating her with a more 'respectful' honorific would be insult enough.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Shizuka snapped in return, standing and glaring at Kagi. "How dare...?"

"Yes! How dare I!" Kagi deadpanned. "How dare I stop you acting like a complete bitch! How dare I stop you being cruel to the innocent! How dare I, indeed!"

Shizuka took a deep breath. "An Osiris doesn't deserve a card..."

"Oh, come off it," the Ra Yellow snarled. "I'm tired of this bullshit attitude all you Obelisks seem to have." She looked at Maiya, holding out Gilgamesh's card. "Here. This is yours." The Osiris Red took it, as Kagi glared death at Shizuka. "I'm going to make you a deal, Miyamoto-san. We'll duel. If I win, you will leave Okiayu-san here alone for good. If you win, then I'll turn a blind eye from now on."

Shizuka chuckled softly. "If you want to be humiliated, little Ra, so be it. But you don't deserve my personal attention. Takeo!"

The valet-type form of her brother seemed to appear from nowhere. He had probably always been stood off to the side, observing, just veiled by his sister's aura of malice. Go figure, Kagi thought. Why were the princesses always the real bitches?

"You want me to duel Kagi-san, I presume?" Takeo asked. His sister curtly nodded, and he moved in-between her and Kagi. "I apologize in advance for your defeat, Kagi-san. I have no ill-will towards you, but I am bound to obey Shizuka-ojou's will." Kagi nodded.

"Then I apologize for this," she answered in turn. "Because you seem like a nice guy, and it's a shame that your sister is too much of a filthy coward to fight her own battles rather than hide behind her brother. But if that's how it'll be, then I refuse to hold back, Miyamoto-san." Behind Takeo, Shizuka looked somewhat incensed at the comment, though she didn't make any attempt to counter it. She probably considered answering insults from those of lower class to be unfit for such a noble person as herself, Kagi reflected darkly.

"Kagi-san," Maiya said softly, holding out a hand. "Here. Use these for me... please..." Kagi took the cards. King of Heroes – Gilgamesh and Epic of Gilgamesh. She glanced at Maiya, who nodded and gave a slight smile.

"Thank you, Okiayu-san," the Ra Yellow smiled back. "I'll make sure to use them as best I can." She placed the two cards onto her Deck, and activated her Disk as Takeo did the same. Both Decks automatically shuffled, and each player drew five cards.

"Duel!"

_**Kagi 4000LP/Takeo 4000LP**_

"Don't you dare lose, Takeo!" Shizuka shouted.

"I won't," Takeo replied, drawing. "Since you suggested this challenge, Kagi-san, you are technically the challenger. As such, I claim the right to take the first turn." Kagi nodded.

"I set one monster," her opponent said, "along with one face-down card, and end my turn." His two reversed cards appeared in flashes of black flame.

_**Kagi 4000LP/Takeo 4000LP**_

"Draw," Kagi declared. "I summon... Herald of Creation!" A brilliant flash of light shone before her, coalescing into the form of a slender, beautiful woman clad in regal blue, white and gold robes under a silver ridged breastplate. Under a golden headdress shaped like the skull of Felgrand Dragon, her shining blonde hair flowed in the breeze, the Herald gripping a staff tipped by a golden ring in hand (1800/600/L4).

"Next," she continued, "I activate Foolish Burial, and I'll send Divine Grace – Northwemko from my Deck to the Graveyard." She took her ace monster as it slipped from her Deck, which quickly shuffled, and placed it into her Graveyard slot. "Then, I use my Herald of Creation's effect, letting me discard a card," she took Djinn Prognosticator of Rituals from her hand and placed it into the Graveyard, "to add a Level Seven or higher monster from my Graveyard to my hand." She took Northwemko from the Graveyard.

Takeo nodded. "An admirable play, Kagi-san."

"Thank you," Kagi nodded. "Herald of Creation, attack his monster! _Light of Genesis_!" The Herald raised her staff and from it unleashed a bolt of divine fire which slammed into Takeo's monster, a skeletal figure clad in a tattered black cloak and white mask, holding a staff set with an amethyst (600/700/L3). The monster was promptly blown apart into shards by the impact of the attack.

"I activate the effect of my destroyed Phantom Magician," Takeo said, "Special Summoning a Hero monster with one-thousand or lower attack points from my Deck in face-up defense mode. I summon," he took a card from his Deck, "Evil Hero Hell Forester!" He played the card as his Deck shuffled. From an explosion of black flame it emerged, a gray-skinned being with skin like rock, weathered and cracked. The scorched, burned remnants of a dead tree crowned its right shoulder, flakes of bark coming loose as Hell Forester knelt in a defensive position, more cracks running across its rocky form (1000/2000/L4).

"Evil Heroes, huh?" Kagi mused, scanning her hand. "I set one card face-down and end my turn." The reversed card appeared before her.

_**Kagi 4000LP/Takeo 4000LP**_

"Draw," Takeo said. "In my Standby Phase, I activate my Hell Forester's first effect, adding a Dark Fusion from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." He took a Spell Card as it slipped out of his Deck, which promptly shuffled.

"I activate Dark Fusion, fusing the Elemental Heroes Avian and Wildheart in my hand," he continued, playing the Spell. An inferno of black fire erupted, screaming and blazing as two heroic forms appeared within, one winged, the other appearing savage and noble. Both screamed as they melted into the flames, which blazed all the more fiercely. "I Fusion Summon, Evil Hero Wild Cyclone!"

A howling tempest of wind erupted, tearing the flames apart as the monster rose from within, dark-skinned and mostly naked except for a loincloth, shoulder-plates and a midnight black mask, around which his gray hair burst out like a mane. Tribal markings adorned the shoulder-plates, and black demonic wings exploded out behind Wild Cyclone, who gave a debased, savage roar of anger and blood-lust (1900/2300/L8).

"Wild Cyclone, attack Herald of Creation!" The monster ripped across the field, wings spread wide. "And due to Dark Fusion, during this turn, the monster summoned by its effect is immune to targeting effects!"

"That doesn't stop my Mirror Force!" Kagi countered as her Trap began to lift, only to be forced down by a sudden burst of wind.

"When Wild Cyclone attacks, you can't activate Spells or Traps until the end of the damage step," Takeo smiled as his monster struck in a blur of shadow which tore through Herald of Creation, shattering her into pixels before striking Kagi.

(_Kagi 3900LP_)

"And since Wild Cyclone just dealt Battle Damage, all set Spell and Trap Cards you control are destroyed." The Evil Hero beat down his wings, erupting back as blades of shadow ripped from them and ripped through the Mirror Force card, shattering it. "I set a face-down card, and end my turn." The reverse card appeared in a flicker of black flame.

_**Kagi 3900/Takeo 4000LP**_

"I draw," Kagi called. "I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!" In a flare of radiance, the silver-armored spirit appeared, clenching his many fists (1400/1000/L4). "And since he was just summoned, I can add any Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell from my Deck to my hand, like Ritual of Grace!" She took the necessary Ritual for her ace from her Deck, which shuffled.

"Next, I activate Ascending Soul!" A Continuous Spell appeared, shining with energy.

"I activate the Trap Card, Burning Fighting Spirit, and I choose to equip it to Wild Cyclone," Takeo said, an aura of hellfire appearing around his Fusion Monster as the Trap lifted. Kagi eyed it warily.

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card, Ritual of Grace," she declared, the shining vortex of divine light blazing into life overhead. "I sacrifice Manju from my field and Djinn Prognosticator of Rituals from my Graveyards as offerings to my goddess!" A new Djinn appeared beside Manju as Kagi pocketed its card, a purple-skinned muscular fiend wielding a morning star with a skull for the weapon end, before it and Manju rose into the light and were consumed. Kagi chanted softly, gazing into the light...

"_The light of salvation shines down from above and announces the arrival of our savior. Light, punish the wicked with judgment and protect the faithful! Ritual Summon! Descend... Divine Grace – Northwemko!" _

Swathed in the light of her divinity, Northwemko emerged, landing silently and casting a slight, sad smile to Kagi before facing the demonic figure before Takeo sternly (2700/1200/L7). The smile resonated with Kagi, reaching to a deep part of her soul buried under the detritus of years, to a memory, a sad, sad day...

"I activate two effects, firstly Ascending Soul returns one of the Ritual Materials from my Graveyard to my hand," Kagi said, taking Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands from her Graveyard, "and secondly Northwemko lets me select a number of face-up cards up to the number of monsters used in her summon, I select Ascending Soul." A thread of light appeared, connecting the goddess' staff to Ascending Soul's card. "Northwemko, attack his Wild Cyclone! _Light of Atonement_!" The divine radiance burst from Northwemko's staff, searing towards the Evil Hero Fusion...

"Burning Fighting Spirit's effect," Takeo said. "If you control a monster with higher attack points than the equipped monster's original attack points, Burning Fighting Spirit doubles the equipped monster's attack points during the Damage Step." The aura around Wild Cyclone blazed with an incredible intensity, the Evil Hero roaring as power surged through his body (3800/2300/L8)..

"I activate an effect from my hand," Kagi said simply, placing a card into her Graveyard. "_Honest Wings_!" The wings spread from Northwemko's back, dazzling with radiance, and the goddess burst with light (6500/1200/L7) which struck Wild Cyclone and consumed him, erasing him in a maelstrom of divine glory. The light slammed into Takeo and he cried out as it hurled him back, burning, shining with blinding radiance.

(_Takeo 1300LP_)

The light faded, and Takeo was staring at Kagi, surprised. His face quickly returned to its mask-like blankness, but the surprise had been there, if only for an instant.

"The effect of Prognosticator activates, when the Ritual Monster I sacrificed it for deals Battle Damage, you discard one card," Kagi continued. Takeo quickly scanned his hand, and placed a copy of Evil Hero Malicious Edge into the Graveyard. "Turn end." The wings faded and the glow around Northwemko dimmed to nothing (2700/1200/L7).

_**Kagi 3900LP/Takeo 1300LP**_

"Draw," her opponent said, doing so. "I activate Hell Forester's effect once more." He took the Dark Fusion card as it slipped from his Deck, which then shuffled.

"I place one card face-down and end my turn." The reverse card appeared in a flash of black flame.

_**Kagi 3900LP/Takeo 1300LP**_

"Draw," Kagi declared. "I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands." Once again the quicksilver spirit appeared before her, clenching its many fists (1400/1000/L4). "And I use his effect to add..." she paused momentarily, considering, "King of Heroes – Gilgamesh from my Deck to my hand!" She took Maiya's card from her Deck, smiling at the Osiris Red girl as she did so and the Deck shuffled.

"Northwemko, destroy his Hell Forester! _Light of Atonement_!" Light exploded from the goddess' staff towards Hell Forester...

"Trap Card, open," Takeo countered. "Hero's Guard! My monster won't be destroyed by this battle, and I banish Elemental Hero Wildheart from my Graveyard," he pocketed the monster in question, "to halve all Battle Damage and draw one card." He drew once as the light glanced off of Evil Hero Hell Forester.

"Turn end," Kagi muttered.

_**Kagi 3900LP/Takeo 1300LP**_

"Draw," Takeo spoke. "I now activate my Hell Forester's second effect. By Releasing it, I can add a Dark Calling from my Deck to my hand." Black flames consumed his monster as dark flowers bloomed from the fire-blackened tree on its shoulder, Hell Forester shattering as its owner took a card from his Deck.

"I activate the Spell Card, Legacy of a Hero, since I have at least two Level Four or higher Hero monsters in my Graveyard, I can draw three cards." The valet-esque duelist made three draws, regarding his now-seven card hand. "I activate The Warrior Returning Alive, returning the Warrior-Type Elemental Hero Avian from my Graveyard to my hand." He took the vanilla-framed Normal Monster, before playing a card. "I activate Dark Fusion, fusing the Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix in my hand."

The inferno of black flame erupted before him once again, as the winged form of Avian and the curvaceous form of a female superhero appeared, both screaming in mortal agony as they were consumed by the flames, a dark figure rising within. "Come forth! I Fusion Summon Evil Hero Inferno Wing!"

The flames exploded into more flames, howling and raging, before dying as a dark, angelic form took flight, hovering above the field. Clad in tight, revealing crimson spandex, the Evil Hero bore a sadistic smirk, her pitch-dark wings spread wide as she descended. Clawed gauntlets encasing her forearms and a dark visor covering her eyes, Inferno Wing looked just as demonic as the Evil Heroes who had come before, a dark, twisted mockery of the proud Elemental Heroes (2100/1200/L6).

Northwemko regarded the new Evil Hero sternly, with a hint of tears in her eyes at the twisted ruin of a hero, as Kagi shook her head. "Your monster's impressive, but she can't defeat Northwemko."

"I apologize," Takeo said, "if I gave the impression that I was done." He played another card, and Kagi's eyes widened. "I activate, Dark Calling! This Spell Card allows me to Fusion Summon an Evil Hero by banishing the materials in my Graveyard. So I choose to banish my Evil Hero Wild Cyclone and Evil Hero Malicious Edge." Wild Cyclone appeared, followed by the thin, emaciated form of a dark hero, covered in barbs and blades with Wolverine-esque claws sprouting between his knuckles. Both silently vanished into a massive eruption of black fire, as Takeo's composure slipped slightly, allowing a smile through.

Shizuka on the other hand gave a dark laugh. "Great show, brother! Show her the power of our class!"

Takeo nodded. _"One cannot protect their precious ones with kindness alone. When the ideals of heroes are broken by an eternal battle, the truth shall make itself known as a ruthless justice! Black devil, scourge of sin! Arise, __**Evil Hero Malicious Fiend**__!"_

And it came from the darkness and the fire. Rising on sword-like wings of dark metal, the devil rose, massive claws extending from its hands, a bladed cowl masking its face. Clad in black leather armor adorned by blades and barbs, Malicious Edge hung like the envoy of the end, eyes filled with hate and rage. It roared, an inhuman shriek promising misery and death to its foes. Kagi trembled as Malicious Fiend simply hovered, claws gleaming in the sunlight... (3500/2100/L8)

"Evil Hero Malicious Fiend, attack Divine Grace – Northwemko," Takeo commanded. "_Relentless Justice_!" Silently the devil moved, tearing across the field, ripping through the air. And Northwemko screamed in agony as the claws slashed, tearing her in twain with a brutal motion. Malicious Fiend sneered, gazing into the goddess' dying eyes, before she shattered and the Evil Hero struck Kagi in a graceful yet ugly motion, slashing his claws across her form. Kagi cried out.

(_Kagi 3100LP_)

"_Mommy!" _The little girl's scream echoed in her head even as the sneering Malicious Fiend leapt away, landing neatly before Takeo once more.

"Evil Hero Inferno Wing, destroy Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands. _Infernal Blast_!" The Evil Hero cupped her hands, and hellfire pooled in them, becoming a sphere which she hurled, the sphere striking Manju and exploding into a blazing inferno of hate, consuming the silver spirit.

(_Kagi 2400LP_)

"Evil Hero Inferno Wing's effect, when she destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack or defense points, whichever score is higher," Takeo explained. "_Hell Backfire_!" Kagi looked up, and Inferno Wing was there, smirking sadistically as her form blazed, unleashing a burst of hellfire which consumed the duelist in a twisted embrace. Kagi cried out as the Solid Vision made her feel the heat of the hellfire, the screams of the damned resonating in her ears even as the flames ended and Inferno Wing drew back.

(_Kagi 1000LP_)

"No," Maiya whispered, watching Kagi's Life Points plummet.

"Don't... worry," Kagi muttered. "I'm going to win this, I promise."

"Your situation is nearly helpless," Takeo said quietly. "Due to the effect of Evil Hero Malicious Fiend, during your Battle Phase, your monsters are all changed to attack position and must attack Malicious Fiend. My set card is Destruction Jammer, allowing me to discard one card to negate any card effect which destroys a card, so my two Heroes are quite adequately protected from Garlandolf, King of Destruction, or Demise, King of Armageddon. Even if you happen to summon Chaos Sorcerer, a possibility I will not overlook, you can only remove one of my monsters, leaving the other able to end this in my next turn."

"Impressive," Kagi said. "But you haven't accounted for one thing, Miyamoto-san."

"Oh? What would that be?" Takeo asked. "What factor have I failed to consider, Kagi-san?"

"I hate your sister and I want to beat you to protect my friend from this pointless discrimination," the girl retorted. "Therefore, Miyamoto-san, you are in the wrong."

Takeo regarded her, about to speak, but Shizuka spoke first. "So you have the moral high ground, so you think! Big deal! You're still going to lose next turn!"

"We'll see," Kagi retorted in a steely tone. "Are you finished, Miyamoto-san?"

"I am," Takeo nodded. "Show me what you're capable of, then, Kagi-san."

_**Kagi 1000LP/Takeo 1300LP**_

"This is it, then," Kagi said, drawing. "I activate the Field Spell Card, Ritual Sanctuary." She played the card and in a flash of brilliant light, the church formed around them. "I now activate my Sanctuary's effect, discarding a Spell," she discarded Lightning Vortex, the card she had just drawn, "to add a Ritual Spell from my Deck to my hand." She looked at Maiya, giving the Osiris Red a meaningful smile as she took the card.

"I now summon... Gagaga Magician!" Shadows collected before her, coalescing into the form of a silent magician clad in concealing blue robes adorned with flame symbols in golden orange and a regal maroon collar. A tuft of platinum hair covered the magician's right eye and chains were wrapped around his right shin and chest (1500/1000/L4).

Takeo frowned. "But that card is designed for Exceed Summoning."

"Oh? I activate my Magician's effect," Kagi replied, with a knowing smile. "By declaring a Level between one and eight, Gagaga Magician's Level becomes the declared one for this turn. I declare eight." Gagaga Magician glowed with radiant light (L8). "And I now activate the Ritual Spell Card... Epic of Gilgamesh!"

Maiya gave a cry of excitement as the card appeared, shining with golden radiance. A pillar of golden light shone, consuming Gagaga Magician. "To fulfill this card's cost, I must offer monsters whose Levels equal eight or more. So I offer Gagaga Magician to call forth the aid of the King of Heroes!" Gagaga Magician closed his visible eye and faded into golden light, form reshaping as Kagi chanted.

"_Come forth from the epics and the stories to show us the power of the King of Heroes! I give you a battle to fight, and to win! Ritual Summon! King of Heroes... **Gilgamesh**!"_

And from the light he stepped, clad all in ornate golden armor, which shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Towering like the hero he was, Gilgamesh rose, glaring across the field at the demonic mockeries of heroes which were his foes. Leonine imagery adorned the armor, snarling lion faces on his breastplate and shoulder plates, claws on his gauntlets and boots, and his helm was forged to resemble a lion's mane. A rich purple cloak billowing in the wind behind him, Gilgamesh raised a hand, and clenched it into a fist, his dark features lending an imposing air to the king as he shouted a battle cry... (2800/2100/L8)

"Impressive indeed," Takeo smiled. "But while I admire your monster, Kagi-san, he cannot defeat my Malicious Fiend."

Kagi shook her head and smiled. "You'll see that he can, Miyamoto-san. This is the final turn, after all." Takeo frowned at this, and Shizuka gave a flippant laugh as the Ra Yellow held up the Epic of Gilgamesh card. "By banishing Epic of Gilgamesh from my Graveyard, one King of Heroes – Gilgamesh I control can attack all of my opponent's monsters once each this turn." A shining golden aura surrounded Gilgamesh, who smirked confidently. "King of Heroes – Gilgamesh! Battle! Attack Evil Hero Malicious Fiend! _Fury of Babylon_!"

Shining, the King of Heroes leapt forwards, drawing back a fist to strike Malicious Fiend with a smirk as the Evil Hero sneered, raising his claws...

"What are you doing?" Takeo asked. "Gilgamesh is still not strong enough to beat Malicious Fiend."

"Maybe not his attack score," Kagi retorted. "But Malicious Fiend's defense score? Gilgamesh can beat that. King of Heroes – Gilgamesh's effect! When he attacks, I can switch the target's battle position!"

"_What_?" Shizuka and Takeo spoke in unison as a crimson aura burned around Malicious Fiend, forcing it to kneel (3500/2100/L8) an instant before Gilgamesh's fist struck and smashed it into pixels.

"Gilgamesh also inflicts Piercing Damage," Kagi continued as the King turned and struck Takeo with a blow from his fist, sending the Obelisk Blue staggering back.

(_Takeo 600LP_)

"Now, King of Heroes – Gilgamesh, finish this," she said. "Attack Inferno Wing! _Fury of Babylon_!" The King of Heroes turned and struck, shattering Inferno Wing with a blow of his fist before striking Takeo again, ending the duel with a decisive blow...

_**Kagi 1000LP/Takeo 0LP**_

"_Excellent," _Gilgamesh boasted as he, along with the other cards still in play, faded to nothing.

"I won," Kagi stated, glaring at Shizuka. "And I expect you to hold up your side of the bargain."

The Obelisk Blue had paled at the realization that the deal had not gone her way, that against the odds Kagi had defeated Takeo. "Whatever..."

"Miyamoto-san." The valet-type looked up at his opponent. "You were a great opponent," Kagi smiled. "I'd love to face you again sometime."

He nodded. "Thank you, Kagi-san." He stood, and as Shizuka strode away with a face like thunder, he moved to follow her.

"Thank you, Kagi-san." It was Maiya, smiling adorably.

"No need," the Ra Yellow said, shaking her head. "That Obelisk girl needed some humiliation... it's just a pity she was too much of a cowardly bitch to come and face me herself. I feel sorry for her brother... he's nice."

Maiya nodded. "Um... Kagi-san, can I have my cards back, please?"

"Oh, yes," Kagi said, giving an apologetic smile as she took Gilgamesh's card from her Duel Disk and Epic of Gilgamesh from her pocket, handing them back to the Osiris Red. "Thank you for lending them to me. I couldn't have won without Gilgamesh, after all."

"_Naturally not." _She chuckled at Gilgamesh's insistence.

The whiteness watched. It sighed, the death rattle of a damned man, and regarded them. Deathly fingers rose, like bones, and it looked at them. It recalled flesh. The sensation of skin. Skin touching rock. Skin touching skin, oh, the fire searing in its veins on that day. Skin touching bone, cold, sorrow. All lost. All ripped away. And gone and replaced with...

_The full moon in the sky at zenith's height, burning red above on this starless night..._

No. Not yet. Not yet. But it was coming. The blood-moon was coming. The scent of flesh and blood was there, filling the air. Death was coming too. To the students. To the teachers. To the lonely. The lovers. To the innocent, it was coming to them all. Oh so soon, it was coming.

And as Kagi laughed and smiled, as Maiya laughed and smiled, the whiteness vanished.

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"I know you're there."

Himawari Higure looked back from the book she was reading. It was not the sort of typical sappy romance novel one might expect a girl of her age to read. Nor was it even fiction. In a sense, in any case.

_Beyond Good And Evil _by Friedrich Nietzsche, Kagi noted.

"You're reading Nietzsche?" she asked. "Why?"

"I find it interesting."

"You find the works of a man who stated in one of those works, 'God is Dead', interesting?" Kagi asked.

"People misinterpret Nietzsche," her friend noted. "They misinterpret him a lot."

"Anyone gets misinterpreted," Kagi shrugged.

"Why are you in here, Kagi-san?" Himawari asked, glancing back to the book and reading. __He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster.__

"Shimo-kun, Tadashi-san and I want your help," the girl said. "The Obelisk Blues... the discrimination against Osiris Reds is still here, Higure-san. It's still here and it's rooted in deep. We're trying to make a stand against it."

Himawari was silent for a few moments, before speaking. "Kagi-san, why do you think I'll help you?"

A look of utter shock broke Kagi's confident expression. "What?"

"I didn't come here to start social changes, Kagi-san, I came here to learn, and to find opponents," Himawari noted, still reading. "So why do you think I'm going to change my focus to help you go up against a tradition?"

"You... how...?" Kagi was aghast. "How can you say that?"

"I'm a duelist, Kagi-san. I'm here to become a pro. I'm not here to help you start splitting the students into two parties just because you cry foul play over social order." Himawari was not cold. Her tone was quite reasonable considering the words.

It only made worse.

"I'm not a hero. I'm not some fire-hearted revolutionary, nor am I going to start rocking the boat over an issue which doesn't concern me," the girl continued. And still she read from _Beyond Good And Evil_.

"Look at me," Kagi whispered. Himawari didn't move. "Look at me!" This time, Himawari did. "Aren't we your friends, Higure-san? Shimo-kun's suffering under this! He's an Osiris Red." Himawari was just silent. And it sent ice stabbing into Kagi's heart. "Higure-san..."

"I'm not going to throw myself into the fire just because you and Shimo-san are so obsessively idealistic that you cannot tolerate the sight of the slightest thing you define as 'injustice'," Himawari finally said. "Go fight this by all means, but I'm not joining you. I have better things to concern my time with." Kagi stood, defeated, tears in her eyes as Himawari returned to her book.

"Higure-san..."

"Please leave, Kagi-san," the girl said. "I'm sorry, but I am not going to stand with you on this. I'm not taking sides."

And Kagi was gone, the tears plain to see, and Himawari sat and read her book. It was none of her business how the Obelisks treated the Osiris Reds, after all...

M-I-R-R-O-R

Card Stats:

Monsters:

Evil Hero Hell Forester

DARK/ Fiend/Effect /Level 4/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000

During your standby phase, you can add one "Dark Fusion" from your deck or graveyard to your hand. If you tribute this card, you can add one "Dark Calling" to your hand instead.

(Evil Hero Hell Forester was created by fellow fanfic author Scarlet Weather. Creative credit for it goes to him.)

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King of Heroes – Gilgamesh

LIGHT/ Warrior/Ritual/Effect /Level 8/ATK: 2800/DEF: 2100

This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, 'Epic of Gilgamesh'. This card inflicts Piercing Damage. When this card attacks a face-up monster, you can change the attack target's battle position.

(King of Heroes – Gilgamesh is my own creation and creative credit for it goes to me. Credit for inspiration goes to the makers of Fate/stay night.)

Spells:

Legacy of a Hero

Normal Spell Card

Image: Elemental Hero Flame Wingman's wing and dragon head lying in a spotlight.

Activate only if there are 2 or more Level 4 or higher "Hero" monsters in your Graveyard. Draw 3 cards.

(Legacy of a Hero was first used by Judai in the GX manga chapter 'The Conclusion...!' Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX manga.)

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Epic of Gilgamesh

Ritual Spell Card

Image: King of Heroes – Gilgamesh depicted upon a stone tablet, where he stands before a mighty city gate.

This card is used to Ritual Summon 'King of Heroes – Gilgamesh'. You must also Tribute monsters whose total Levels equal 8 or more from the field or your hand. During your Main Phase, you can banish this card from your Graveyard to select 1 face-up 'King of Heroes – Gilgamesh' you control. During this turn's Battle Phase, the selected monster can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each, and other monsters you control cannot declare an attack.

(Epic of Gilgamesh is my own invention and creative credit for it goes to me.)

Traps:

Burning Fighting Spirit

Normal Trap Card

Image: A red-suited warrior standing in the middle of a fiery explosion, as four metal rings shoot out of the flames.

Equip this card to a monster you control. If your opponent controls a monster whose ATK is higher than the original ATK of the equipped monster, then the equipped monster's ATK becomes equal to double its original ATK during the Damage Step only.

(Burning Fighting Spirit was released in the OCG set Photon Shockwave.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Hero's Guard

Normal Trap Card

Image: A boy cowering behind a red-suited superhero as a burning meteor descends towards them.

Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Any "Hero" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle by that attack. Also, you can banish 1 "Hero" monster from your Graveyard to halve the Battle Damage you take from that attack and draw 1 card.

(Hero's Guard was first used by Judai in the GX anime episode 'The Truth Behind Darkness! Judai VS Fubuki'. Creative credit for it goes to the writers of the GX anime.)

M-I-R-R-O-R

Author's Note: A little puzzle for you all. Brownie point to anyone who can say in a review where the concept of Hayaki Kou's 'passenger' comes from in terms of inspiration.

M-I-R-R-O-R

The hero has shunned her duty to stand for justice, truth and the right... oh, screw that. Himawari has chosen to remain outside of the conflict Kagi, Shimo and Migi are trying to start in order to challenge the Obelisk Blue discrimination against Osiris Reds. As the Osiris Reds are inspired to try and stand up for themselves, the frustrated three friends try to convince Himawari to support their cause to little avail. But a pair of Osiris Reds step forward and challenge Himawari to a triangle Duel, aiming to try to show just how determined they are to face up to the threat of discrimination. Can Himawari withstand their united attack? Will they break her mask of impartiality?

To find out, it's Chapter 7 – Darkness Outsider!


End file.
